I Thought I was Alone
by FlowerLady-Aerith
Summary: SoraxKairi Kairi had been an orphan as long as she could remember living in Rinoa's Orphanage until Rinoa sent her to live with seven other teenagers? They all had been orphans and were put together under the same roof? Will they get along?
1. Prologue

_A/N: This is the wonderful prologue to my second fan-fiction! Oh I'm so excited! Now I get to work on this and Things Are Not Always as they Seem, my first fan-fiction. Here it is enjoy!_

_Now I introduce to you my reader and possibly reviewer 'I Thought I was Alone!'_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, and sadly I never will. _

* * *

"Here we are Kairi."

_'How did I let her talk me into this?' _

_'Maybe they'll accept me?' _

_'Kairi stop talking to yourself!'_

I stepped out of Rinoa's blue minivan. There in front of me was a three-story white house. It was more ivory than white. There were vines traveling up the sides of it. The windows looked to be permanently stained by dirt. I could see the paint chipping off of the house. It looked like one of those mansions that a murder had taken place in. Then, after the murder no one had lived in it for 3,000 years. I looked back at Rinoa, my eyes were pleading with her. I wanted to go back to the orphanage and spend my life as a teenage spinster. Sadly, the only response I got was a nod signaling for me to go inside. This would be my new home, my permanent home. There was no going back now, these other six teenagers would be my new family. The first real family I had ever had.

_'I'm not too thrilled with this, Rinoa what have you gotten me into?'_

Just this morning I was a fifteen-year-old living Rinoa's orphanage. I hadn't been a particularly happy fifteen-year-old, but at least my life was stable.

_

* * *

_

_"Good morning," I whispered to myself. I ran my fingers through my auburn hair already getting caught in the tangles. I stood up dusting off my pants. I grabbed my little purple bag and went into the bathroom sneaking and stepping over all the younger kids.  
_

_I quietly closed the door and looked at myself in the mirror. The girl that stared back wasn't such a pretty sight. My auburn hair was dulled and dry looking with noticeable split ends. My eyes had dark circles around them and seemed to only show my despair. I suppose that was to be expected with a mixture between purple and blue. I sighed grabbing my brush and brushing my hair. "I look so…I'm not even going to finish that sentence." I sighed again putting down the brush and turning on the water._

_At the orphanage all they had was cold water. Rinoa really needed to fix this place up, but I understood how she had no money. It was amazing how she still kept the place going. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. After turning off the water I went over to my bag (stepping over all the children once again) and pulled out the only other pair of clothing I owned. My white t-shirt, black hooded jacket, and my jean skirt. I put them on and slipped into my flip-flops.  
_

_"Just another day," I sighed opening the door to the bathroom. I saw Rinoa packing up my sleeping bag. "Rinoa? Is there no more room for me in here?"_

_She smiled at me. "I found you a family." My eyes widened. She found me a family? What?  
_

_"Really?"_

* * *

"Curse you Rinoa," I muttered under my breath. I watched the blue minivan drive away from the curb while standing on the porch. The porch that looked like it was going to collapse at any given moment. I turned to the door moving my auburn tress out of my face. I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the doorknob.

_'Okay this is it Kairi, the moment of truth. Make a good impression and maybe my peers will like me and I'll have friends that are actually my age,'_ I thought. Rinoa always said I over-thought things, and could talk myself out of everything. I guess she was right, because I really wanted to make a mad dash for the minivan. Rinoa didn't drive too fast.

I sighed. "Well, here goes nothing."

_'Please like me!'_

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_A/N: I hoped you liked my mini prologue. It actually wasn't that long. Oh well what do you expect? Review if you would like! And hopefully you would like too. I'll write the first chapter soon._


	2. Meeting the Roomates

_A/N: This is the first chapter. I'm so excited! I enjoy starting new fan-fictions I just hope this one has a good outcome like my other one. Which is still in-progress. Just for future reference the rest of the story will be written in third person that was just for the prologue._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter One: Meet the Roommates

Kairi pushed through the front door. The first thing she noticed about the inside was the white paint chipping off of the walls. The second thing she noticed was the teen seated on the floor. The third thing she noticed was the damp smell in the air, she decided to ignore that. It was a boy. He had blue eyes that were currently fixated on the wall, and blonde hair that flipped upward at the tips. He seemed to be in his own little world. Kairi cleared her throat getting his attention. He glanced up looking her over. A smile soon made its way to his lips. He jumped to his feet and walked her way.

"Are you going to live in the ancient, mental ward too? Or should I say this place," he asked hopefully. Kairi shyly nodded. "Oh, okay. My name is Tidus, what's yours?"

"I'm Kairi," she replied quietly. Without her consent he took her hand and gave it a good shake. She hid her surprise. "What happened to the other five people who are supposed to live here with us?" she asked taking a look around the entranceway.

Tidus laughed. He had a jolly laugh. It wasn't the jolliness that Santa Claus had; it was more of a boyish laugh. "I guess you didn't have any friends at your orphanage either. Since you're so eager to meet them," he assumed. Kairi blushed in embarrassment. Was she that obvious? And how was it possible that such an outgoing kid like him had no friends? "It's okay, I'll be your first friend."

"Thank you, Tidus," she replied with a smile. She thought he was nice.

"No problem, but the others don't seem to be as warm as I am. So far only two other people are here, come on I'll introduce you," he said before turning to lead her out of the entranceway. Tidus led Kairi to the room that would be the dining room once it was furnished, inside was an albino haired boy.

He had aqua eyes that were practically completely covered by his bangs. He appeared to be a year older than Kairi and Tidus. He was dressed in a black jacket with black pants and black vans. So much black. Kairi thought he was questionable. On his head were a set of headphones that were blasting music into his ears. He was singing.

_I'm tired of being what you want me to be_

_Feeling so faithless _

_Lost under the-_

"Riku!" Tidus called interrupting his 'recording session'. The boy glared at Tidus. His eyes were screaming, 'What the heck do you want now?' He then shifted his gaze to Kairi who stood cowering behind Tidus. The glare had frightened her. He took off his headphones and turned off his CD player. "This is Kairi, she just got here," Tidus said pushing Kairi in front of him.

"Since when are you the welcoming committee?" Riku retorted. Tidus chuckled nudging Kairi as if it were some kind of joke.

"He's such a kidder," Tidus laughed, "Anyway she just wanted to meet you so we'll leave you alone to your song now." Tidus grabbed Kairi's arm and pulled her out of the room.

_'I'll make a mental note not to disturb him, he's even more angsty than I am,'_ Kairi thought as she was being pulled into what would become the hangout. Inside she saw a blonde girl running her hand down the wall. She looked like she was examining the dust.

"Hey Naminé!" Tidus called. The girl spun around. The first thing Kairi noticed about this girl (besides her dusty finger) were her pair of piercing blue eyes. They stood out unlike her honey blond hair or the white dress and gray sweater she was wearing.

"Tidus! You're going to track more dirt! But umm...who's your friend?" she asked as she eyed Kairi.

"This is Kairi, she just arrived." Naminé grabbed Kairi's arm and began to examine her. She felt like she was in some kind of hospital getting a checkup.

She rolled her eyes and dropped Kairi's arm. "You're so filthy! How long has it been since you've taken a shower and your clothes have so much lint!" Naminé exclaimed in disgust. Kairi glared at her. She didn't come here to be insulted.

_'No Kairi, you're the bigger person. Take a deep breath and calm down!'_

Rather than inhaling deeply she sighed. Tidus sensed the tension and pulled Kairi out of there. "Naminé's a neat freak so don't take what she says to heart, it's in her nature," Tidus explained.

"Maybe when the others get here they'll be more friendly," Kairi said hopefully, even though the small amount of hope that she had had already been destroyed by Naminé and Riku. She really wanted to live in a peaceful abode, not a feuding one. It didn't look like she was going to get her wish.

Tidus shrugged and led Kairi back to the entrance hallway. He sat down in the same spot that he had before, and resumed staring at the wall. "Are you going to sit there all day?" Kairi asked before sitting down next to him.

"Well someone has to be the welcoming committee," Tidus replied giving her a shrug. Kairi smiled at him. It was the first time she had smiled in a while.

"I'm going to be part of your committee then," Kairi stated happily. She removed her bag from her person and tossed it on the floor. Tidus smirked. He was happy his committee could actually be a committee now. After all, it took more than one person to create a committee.

_Knock, Knock_

Kairi jumped up and opened the door. She saw a brunette boy with spiky hair standing on the porch. He was wearing a long red t-shirt and some really baggy black pants. The boy had a beautiful pair of cerulean blue eyes, and, well, a strangely nice grin plastered to her face. He was holding a black bag that appeared to have everything and anything he ever owned inside.

"Hey, this is the house for orphans right?" the boy asked. He acted as if he were lost. Kairi nodded opening the door a little wider. Tidus jumped up and joined in on the 'party'.

"Hey, I'm Tidus and this is Kairi," Tidus greeted. He gave the newcomer a strange stare secretly wondering why the boy was smiling so hard.

"I'm Sora."

Kairi smiled again. Maybe living here wouldn't be that bad after all. Sora seemed like a nice enough person and Tidus had been proven to be kind. Now all she needed was a female friend to talk about girly things with. Not that she did that often. Sora sat his bag down on top of Kairi's things.

"So where's the kitchen?" Sora asked, "I'm starved." Tidus led Sora and Kairi to the kitchen. He decided it would be part of their mini-tour. Sora opened the fridge and was surprised to see nothing inside. "Hey! There's no food!" he cried disappointedly. He searched the cabinets and anything that could hold food, but the kitchen was completely empty, except for an expired phone book. Tidus and Kairi looked at each other.

"They sent us to live here with no food, running water, furniture, and clothing? What kind of orphanages are they!" Tidus exclaimed outraged by the blasphemy.

Kairi sighed, "I was halfway expecting this. An orphanage can never be trusted. We have to fend for ourselves now." She was only saying this because she was still angry with Rinoa. It was Rinoa that she was losing trust in.

"That was deep," Sora stated. Kairi shrugged not even bothering to give him a glance. "You're depressed eh? I wonder what your life story is," he pondered out loud staring at her. Tidus scratched his head. Sora seemed to like to pry into things.

_"Hello!"_

Tidus jumped. The voice startled him. Someone else seemed to have found their way inside. "Looks like someone else has arrived," Tidus said abandoning Sora and Kairi to go tend to the new arrival. Sora and Kairi followed him so they wouldn't get lost if he didn't return; after all it was a pretty big house.

In the entranceway they saw Tidus talking to a dark brown haired girl. Her eyes were a dark shade of green, but not emerald. She was wearing an orange shirt with beige pants and orange and white sneakers for shoes. She had an orange bag and an orange sleeping back, which was on the floor beside her. She seemed to like the color orange. Her hair was in ponytails.

"I'm Tidus, and behind me is Sora and Kairi. Hey guys, this is Olette," Tidus stated in a matter-of-fact tone. The one called Olette waved shyly. Kairi waved back and Sora just stared. Sora opened his mouth to ask for food, but he was interrupted. Suddenly, a loud banging sound came from outside. Everyone (even Namine and Riku) ran to the doorway only to see a blond boy getting out of a car. He was wearing the colors red and black, and he slightly resembled Sora. Could they be distant, lost cousins?

He ran into the house avoiding the rocks that were being thrown at him. Tidus stepped aside allowing the boy to enter the household. Everyone turned to face the strange boy. All eyes were on the new kid. They wanted to know who he was and why rocks were being thrown at him. Kairi glanced out the door's peephole to see the car drive away.

Roxas stood up grinning in triumph. In his hands was a guitar. _'I'm going to take a guess and say he's a punk rocker,'_ Kairi thought as she studied the new arrival. He also had a pair of cerulean eyes that were just like Sora's. The resemblance was beginning to scare Kairi.

"So you're the noise maker," Riku said coldly. Tidus nodded. The boy lowered his guitar and stared back at the group.

"What? Have you never seen a skater who plays a guitar before?" the boy asked rudely. Kairi just noticed he had on a pair of skater shoes with yellow shoelaces. She made sure to take note of that.

"Hi, I'm Tidus and this is Sora, Kairi, Riku, Olette, and Naminé. We're your new _'family'_," Tidus joked. The boy only stared at them like they were crazy.

"Roxas, _remember_ it, _fear_ it."

"Why should we fear it?" Sora asked curiously.

"Don't mess with me, brunette boy!" Roxas threatened already angry. _'Oh great a blonde with an anger management problem,'_ Kairi thought shivering, what if he killed her in his sleep because she upset him?

She looked around at her new roommates. She would be living with them till she graduated high school and moved out, if she did move out. Kairi would be living with an all-around friendly boy, a shy girl, a neat freak, they boy who embodied the definition of angst, a skater boy, and some lazy bum. She could see the arguments already. They weren't exactly the most agreeable bunch.

_'This is going to be an interesting life.'_

_

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_A/N: What did you think of the first chapter? You should tell me in a review. That'd be nice. The second chapter should come soon. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you so I can get back to you. And I'd like to think CaritasMemoria for being the first to review! Thanks a lot._


	3. You're such a Pain

_A/N: I'm so happy I've been receiving good reviews. I can assure you I will definitely continue on, I planned on doing so even if I didn't receive any reviews. : Well enjoy this new chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Two: You're such a Pain

Kairi let out a long yawn. She was trying her best to fight the urge to sleep as Sora was talking to her about different types of cake batter. He had been talking about food ever since Roxas arrived. After the 'little' confrontation with the blonde boy Sora complained he was hungry, and now he was talking about food non-stop.

"Kairi are you listening to me?" Sora asked staring at her.

"Huh? Oh I mean yeah," Kairi lied leaning against the wall.

Sora raised his left eyebrow in suspicion. "Then what was the last thing I said to you?" he asked.

Kairi looked around wondering what to say. "Cake batter can be made into cakes?" Kairi guessed chuckling nervously.

"Wow, you were listening! You're a good at multi-tasking!"

Kairi laughed before letting out another yawn.

"You're tired, huh?" Sora asked in almost a sad tone. Kairi nodded rubbing her purple-blue eyes tiredly. "I don't know what the rooming situation is. I guess we just pick a room," he suggested trying to help out his new friend.

Kairi lifted her bag from the floor and slung it on her shoulder. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, good night," she said before turning and leaving what would soon be called the living room. She walked up the stairs slowly. They were rickety and squeaked at every step she took. She felt if she stepped too hard she would fall through.

She hadn't exactly explored the second floor, no one had. She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at all the rooms. They were all hidden by white painted doors. To make it worse the paint was chipping off, like it was everywhere else in the mansion. She sighed and looked at the stairs that led to the third floor.

"I'll sleep up there," she muttered to herself once again dragging herself up another set of squeaky, rickety stairs. The hallway was arranged the same, except the doors looked even older. She sighed again and walked down the hallway opening all the doors and inspecting the rooms. She didn't favor any of them.

Kairi finally decided on the far-left room at the end of the hall. She liked it the best because it was at the end of the hall and it wasn't facing the sun. The room was already dark. There was no view of the sunset. She sighed and placed her bag on the floor. She unzipped the surface and pulled out her sleeping bag and laid down on it.

* * *

Downstairs on the second floor Naminé was inspecting all of the rooms. She had on white gloves and she was running her index finger across the wall. She frowned as she saw her finger covered by black dust. She let out a scream and threw the glove on the floor. "It's so disgusting in this house!" she shouted unaware of Tidus laughing at her in her doorway.

Naminé spun around on her heels glaring at the laughing blonde boy. "Get out!" she shrieked picking up the glove and throwing it at his face. Tidus quickly ran out of the doorway. He knew if he lingered any longer she would attack him more fiercely. Naminé slammed the door creating a vibrating sound throughout the entire house.

Riku ripped off his headphones and stormed towards Naminé's room kicking open the door. If he were an anime character his eyes would've had flames inside the pupils. He was furious! No one disturbed his quiet time, no one. Naminé returned his glare. The two stood there in silence just glaring at each other. Invisible sparks were flying.

Olette had just arrived on the floor. She saw the sparks flying between Riku and Naminé. She gasped running up to the third floor in fear one of them might kill her. Sora watched her run up the next flight of stairs; he shrugged walking past Riku and Naminé while whistling a song he had made up about cherry soda.

_Oh, cherry soda_

_You taste so good_

_But you are so bad_

_For my system_

_Ch-Ch-Cherry_

_Cherry Soda_

"Do you have to scream so loud about everything you see that is filthy?" Riku asked through gritted teeth.

Naminé growled. "I can't help if I want everything to be clean," she replied crossing her arms.

"This is a one hundred year old house! That hasn't had inhabitants till now! Did you expect it to be spic and span?" Riku shouted angrily. Naminé huffed slamming the door on Riku's face. She heard Riku yell in anger. Riku stomped away and went into his room slamming the door behind him.

Sora still stood in the hallway confused. "What happened?" he asked no one in particular. He looked around and saw he was the only one standing in the hallway. He laughed nervously randomly picking a room and running into it.

_A minute later_

Roxas threw Sora out of the room. "Don't run into my room!" Roxas cried slamming the door. Sora was on the ground staring up at the ceiling. He sighed rubbing his growling stomach. He was so hungry the pain from being thrown didn't affect him. Sora pouted as he regained his stance.

"Roxas didn't have to throw me," he muttered. The door opened and Sora's bag hit his face making him fall back on the floor. "Hey!" he grumbled throwing his bag at his side and rubbing his face. "That hurt," he groaned. Sora sighed again picking up his bag and walking upstairs to find a room up there. It seemed safer.

Olette's room was the first one on the right. She liked it to face the sun. It also offered her security since it was so close to the stairs. She left her door open and Sora peered into it. He saw her sitting on her orange sleeping bag eating some potato chips. Sora's mouth opened and drool slid down his face.

"Olette."

Olette looked and saw Sora gawking in her doorway. She smiled and motioned for him to come in. "Hello Sora, what did you want?" she asked when he was seated on the floor in front of her.

Sora rubbed the back of his neck not knowing how to tell her he wanted some of her food. He didn't want to be a bother. "Could I-."

"Did you want some?" Olette asked offering the bag. Sora nodded sticking his hand inside and pulling out some. He grinned eating the chips. Olette laughed loudly as she watched Sora throw the chips in the air and try to catch them with his mouth. He missed each one.

"Shut up!"

Olette and Sora flinched hearing Riku from downstairs. They laughed more quietly in fear Riku might actually come upstairs and murder them with his headphone wires. The image of Riku strangling him with the headphone connector scared him. Sora stood up and grabbed his bag. "I guess I should go find a room of my own, we have a big day tomorrow. You know, registering for school and going shopping with no money…well bye!" he exclaimed. Sora left Olette's room and began his lonely walk down the dark hallway.

_You won't cry for my absence, I know -  
You forgot me long ago  
Am I that unimportant...  
Am I so insignificant...  
Isn't something missing  
Isn't someone missing me_

Sora saw Kairi sitting on her sleeping bag singing quietly. He couldn't see if she was crying, but it sounded like it. '_Why would she sing such a depressing song? I bet I was right she is depressed.'_

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?_

"Kairi?" he called poking his head into her room. Kairi's singing abruptly stopped. She looked up and saw the outline of Sora in her doorway. She cleared her throat and wiped the few tears that were on her face.

"Umm what?" she asked trying to sound composed.

Sora chuckled, "Okay, deny it if you want, but I will find out." Kairi froze. "See you in the morning Kai-Kai!" he exclaimed happily.

Kairi turned red. "It's Kairi, not Kai-Kai!" Kairi shouted. If she had something to throw at him she would have. In the midst of her anger she hadn't noticed Sora had gone across the hallway and claimed that room as his. He closed the door snapping her out of her angry daze.

She sighed and fell back on her sleeping bag grumbling. "Good night," she mumbled to herself.

The morning came quicker than anyone had expected. Kairi lay curled in a ball on her sleeping bag. Her room was dark, but not pitch black. Sunlight was eagerly trying to spill into her room. The walls were painted white and the floor was made of gray wood and covered in dust. The window was dirty and could hardly be seen out of.

_Knock, Knock_

Kairi moaned uncurling herself and rolling over. She saw Olette slowly opening her door. "Good morning, Olette," Kairi said through a yawn. Olette smiled and walked into Kairi's room closing the door behind her. Kairi sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning, Kairi. I was wondering if you wanted to be first in the bathroom," Olette explained, "It is closest to your room, and Sora isn't up yet." Kairi shook her head still halfway asleep.

"No, that's okay I have something to take care of, you go in the bathroom first Olette," Kairi replied standing up. Olette nodded and quickly exited Kairi's room. Kairi smirked. She peeked out of her door and saw Olette close the door to the bathroom. She heard it lock.

Kairi tiptoed over across the hall to Sora's room. _'I'll get you for calling me Kai-Kai last night, you lazy bum,'_ Kairi thought as she quietly slipped into his room. She spotted him laying on the hard wooden floor rolling around in his sleep. She covered her mouth to try and stop herself from laughing.

She bent down next to his spiky brown head. _'I guess his spikes are natural.' _She got close to his ear and shouted, "Fire!" as loud as she could. Sora jumped up not even noticing Kairi next to him. He yelled running around his room like a madman looking around for the red flames. He looked at his clothing and acted like he was on fire and ended up slamming face-first into the wall.

Kairi winced running over to see if he was all right. "Sora, are you okay?" Kairi asked watching the brunette rub his head.

"Where's the fire?" he asked. Sora sounded like he was still asleep.

Kairi laughed and shook her head. She held out her hand to help him up. "There was no fire, I lied," she giggled. Sora frowned as he was pulled off of the ground.

"That wasn't very nice, Kai-Kai," Sora whined as he stared at her with his cerulean eyes. Kairi growled glaring at Sora. "Wow! Kai-Kai, you look really bad in the mornings, your hair is a mess! And look at your face there's drool around your mouth!" Sora exclaimed pointing to the dried up drool. Kairi slapped his hand away.

She blushed in embarrassment. "Sora! You're so rude!" she shouted running out of Sora's room and into her own. Sora scratched his head.

"What did I say?"

* * *

Riku was already up and cleaned. Of course, there wasn't much he could do without running water. He looked out his window seeing two people standing outside in front of the house. He started to listen to their conversation.

"I heard this place was haunted," the girl with periwinkle hair said. She was wearing a plaid blue skirt and a short-sleeve white button-up shirt and a blue tie. Obviously a school uniform, Riku didn't fancy this outfit.

"Yeah," the boy next to her mumbled. He was obviously scared. He had dark brown hair and dark tan skin. He was wearing the boy version of the uniform; the only difference was his dark blue slacks.

"Go inside."

"What!"

The girl eyed him obviously amused. "Go. Inside."

"You better not touch that doorknob!" Riku shouted not letting himself be seen. He was going to enjoy teasing these kids. He heard the boy scream. Riku snickered. "Get out of here pranksters!"

The boy screamed again grabbing the girl who was looking around for the source of the strange voice. "OUT!" Riku cried. The two ran down the pathway leaving the house. Riku snickered grabbing his CD player and walking out of his room only to see Naminé walk out of the bathroom.

He glared at her and she returned the favor. "Good morning, dirt bag," Naminé greeted. Riku narrowed his eyes wanting to strike her across the face, but he knew better. Then again since when does he listen to _'the rules'_? He raised his hand to strike her, but lowered it. He couldn't do it. She was still a girl after all.

"Whatever," Riku muttered quickly walking away from her before he became a slave to his anger. Naminé crossed her arms and shook her head. She really didn't like Riku. Roxas skated by on his skateboard knocking her off her feet and onto the dusty, dirty floor.

"Hey!" Naminé shouted angrily.

"Oh sorry, next time don't get in my way," Roxas advised her jumping up on the railing and skating down the stairs. Naminé growled about to leap from the ground and tackle Roxas, but Tidus lifted her off of the ground.

Naminé dusted herself off. "I better not find a piece of lint on my clothes or else I'm going to claw his eyes out," she growled. "Thanks Tidus, maybe you're not a bad dirt attracter after all." Tidus laughed nervously wondering what she meant by that.

"Umm, thanks?" he said unsure of what the correct response was.

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_A/N: That's the second chapter. I hope you readers liked it! Please leave a review or flame or whatever. Just give me some kind of feedback so I can know what I'm doing wrong or what I'm doing right! Hee Hee._


	4. Some Little Issues

_A/N: Now for the third chapter, and also thanks for the wonderful reviews. I know it's really early to be planning a sequel but I might one for this fan-fiction. Maybe, it's not official yet._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

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Chapter Three: Some Little Issues

Olette set her orange bag back in her room. She returned to hallway to see Sora pounding on the bathroom door pleading for Kairi to get out. Obviously he had to go, really bad. Olette giggled. It was a funny sight.

"Come on, Kairi!" Sora pleaded jumping up and down. "I don't think I can hold it any longer!" Sora heard Kairi chuckle from inside the bathroom. He began to pound harder. "I won't ever call you Kai-Kai again! Come on open up!" he begged.

Kairi sighed and opened the door. "That's what I like to hear Sora," she said moving aside so he could go inside. He said his quick 'thank yous' and ran into the bathroom slamming the door behind him. Kairi giggled and returned to her room. She tossed her bag onto the floor.

"I guess I've had my fun," Kairi muttered moving auburn red tress out of her face. She re-entered the hallway and began to wander. _'I wonder if the others are ready to go? Probably. I bet their downstairs impatiently waiting for Sora and me. Especially that Riku kid, he's really scary when he gets angry,' _she thought.

"Kairi."

Olette had been walking next to her the entire time, and Kairi hadn't even noticed her. Kairi felt guilty. She was too deep in thought; what if Olette hated her now? It was in Kairi's nature to be over-critical of herself. Now, because of her mental chastising she was lost in her thoughts once more.

"Kairi."

Kairi shook her head shaking herself out of her mind. "Oh, I'm sorry Olette. I was just thinking about something," she apologized.

Olette giggled. "Were you thinking too hard?" Olette asked. Kairi smiled and nodded. "Well I'm sure the others are waiting for us downstairs. We'd better hurry before they lose their temper," Olette suggested. Kairi nodded and the two quickly ran down the staircases.

"Hey! Wait up!" Sora called. But he wasn't heard. The girls were already gone. He rushed down the stairs still trying to put on his left shoe. "Hey! Guys! Wai-." Sora started to roll down the stairs wailing the entire way.

The girls stopped in the middle of the second staircase. Kairi looked at Olette who was already looking at her. "Did you hear that too?" Kairi asked looking around. Olette nodded looking behind her. She screamed at the sight of Sora rolling their way. Before they could run away Sora bumped into them and now they were also falling down the staircase.

They hit the ground with a loud thud. Sora had fallen on top of Olette, and poor Kairi was at the bottom of the dog pile. It looked like they had tackled each other in a game of football. "My apologies," Sora said laughing nervously. He quickly stood up and dusted off his clothing.

He reached to help Olette back on her feet, but ended up stepping on Kairi's leg in the process. "Hey!" Kairi yelped and kicked her foot. Sora jumped out of the way and dropped Olette back onto Kairi.

"Ow!" both girls cried.

"Oh! Sorry!" Sora laughed rubbing the back of his neck. This situation wasn't going well for him. Kairi stood up and dusted off her jean skirt. She glared at Sora and helped Olette up. "Come on. Let's go to the entrance hallway," Kairi suggested.

* * *

Tidus, Roxas, Naminé, and Riku were waiting in the entranceway just as Kairi had predicted. Roxas was doing tricks on his skateboard. Tidus was sitting on the floor banging the back on his head on the white wall; he was bored. Naminé was still picking lint off of her clothing. Riku was, of course, listening to his CD player.

Tidus let out a long tiring sigh. Naminé rolled her eyes watching Tidus out of the corner of her blue eyes. "I wonder how long they're going to take," Naminé mumbled while picking off another small piece of lint off her clothing.

"Who knows," Tidus replied.

Sora, Olette, and Kairi entered the hallway. Sora waved to everyone only to receive a glare from Riku. The albino haired boy turned off his CD player and tucked it in his pocket. "It took you long enough," he scowled. He walked to the front door and kicked it open. "Let's go already."

Roxas ceased his skateboarding tricks and snickered at Riku. "Mr. Grumpy has been complaining ever since he woke up at six thirty, he practically dragged me out of my bed," Roxas laughed. Riku glared at Roxas who quickly ceased his laughing. "L-Let's go," he stuttered fearfully.

Kairi gulped. _'Please don't let us get arrested, please oh please!'_

The first thing the seven decided to do was buy furniture. After much debate they chose a little furniture store that was only a few streets away. Once they entered the building they decided to split up. Each person was in charge of their own section. Sora would be handling the kitchen furniture; since that was the only thing he could concentrate on at the moment. Olette was taking care of the living room. Roxas was getting furniture for the hangout. Riku was regretfully getting furniture for the entranceway. Tidus would be handling the dining room. Naminé was buying furniture for the study room. Lastly, Kairi had the easiest job, the bathrooms. They each were in charge of their own bedrooms.

Sora stuffed his hands in his pocket. "If we have one of those island counters we'll need about seven stools," Sora said to himself as she examined an oak stool. He kicked it and it came crashing to the ground. Sora looked around making sure no one saw. He sighed in relief and turned around to leave, but instead he bumped into something. He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a nametag that said 'manager'.

Sora gulped. "It was already broken?" Sora laughed rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're going to pay for that young man," the manager said. Sora scratched his spiky head. "Umm…sure, can I get seven other ones in that kind too then?" The manager nodded walking away. "Aww man!" Sora cried. He turned to the closest solid object and began to bang his head.

* * *

Olette was sitting on a brown couch. "This is very comfy," she said sounding delighted, "That checks couch off of my list, I guess I can get the loveseat and that lounge chair that comes with it too. That way we all have somewhere to sit. Four on the couch, two on the loveseat and one in the chair!" She was having better luck than Sora was.

An employee walked by and saw Olette sitting on the couch. "Are you going to purchase that, miss?" the employee asked rudely. Olette jumped up out of fear.

"Umm," she mumbled fearfully.

"What's your answer? Darn it!" the employee cried trying his hardest to stop the profanities from coming out. His face was turning red from his random burst of anger. He had blonde hair and brown eyes. He was wearing one of the red vests with a green shirt under it and camouflage pants with brown shoes.

"Y-Yes," Olette stuttered frightened by his attitude. She read his nametag it read 'Hayner'. "A-And the loveseat and the lounge chair." A smile of satisfaction appeared on Hayner's face. "W-What is it?" she asked. She didn't want to die.

"Nothing, just let me tell my manager," the boy said running toward a door that stated that only employees were allowed inside. Olette sighed and sat on the couch again. She was glad he was gone.

* * *

Roxas rubbed his chin. He was staring at the Lazyboy's. "Man I don't have enough cash to buy all of these; can't they just have a reclining couch?" Roxas asked himself with a shake of his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it; it was like seeing the Holy Grail. He could've sworn it was glowing in yellow light. A fifty percent off reclining couch meant to seat seven. Roxas quickly ran over and hugged the couch.

"There really is a God!" he cried looking towards the ceiling. Roxas pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Now I have to go find an employee before someone else takes this good deal." He saw a blonde employee run into a door. He couldn't read the sign on the door because it was far away. "Hey wait!" he called while waving his hands in the air.

* * *

Riku was staring at the lamp that was in front of him. It had a white shade and the pole made from metal and spray painted silver. He shrugged and picked it up. It was just the entranceway after all, it didn't need fancy furnishings. He wished to take it to the cashier, but he had no idea where checkout was. In his other arm he had a fake tree. He thought it would be nice to add some decoration to the house. It really wasn't his style, but he didn't care. He planned to stay in his room for most of his stay. However long his stay was.

* * *

Tidus smirked. "Aha! This table is perfect! It's pure wood and looks like it belongs to some rich person!" Tidus exclaimed, "and it has matching chairs…this job was just too easy." Tidus glanced around the rest of the store. "I wonder if everybody else is having the same luck?" he thought aloud.

The blonde boy pulled a chair from under the table and sat down. He would have to wait for an employee to pass by in other to purchase the table. The manager probably wouldn't be happy if he simply lifted the table and dragged it to wherever checkout was. Tidus smiled and sat comfortably. It was then a realization struck him. "But wait…I don't have any money!" he cried.

Tidus covered his mouth quickly. He laughed nervously into his palm while scanning the area. He hoped no one had heard him. He already knew that was the way to get kicked out of a store. _'How am I supposed to buy this?' _He panicked.

* * *

Naminé sniffed a bookcase that was in front of her. _'It smells like lemon-scented furniture cleaner. That's a good sign,' _she thought. She ran her finger across each of the shelves and was surprised to find there was no dust on her finger tip. She smiled and hugged the bookcase. "You're perfect! Just like the two desks, two chairs, world globe, cushioned bench, and ceiling fan that I found!" she exclaimed happily.

Naminé looked around the store and spotted an employee headed her way. He had golden hair that was cut short on his head and partially covered by a black beanie. His eyes were a piercing blue. He was wearing the usual red employee vest, a dark blue shirt, black pants, and white shoes. She thought he was kind of cute, but she figured he was a filthy beast like all the other boys she'd met.

"Excuse me, can I buy this bookshelf?" Naminé asked.

"If you're with a girl named Olette you don't have to buy anything," the boy replied.

"Olette? She's my roommate. Why don't we have to pay anything…?"

"Seifer. And your good fortune is because your friend was the first to buy an entire set. So now our manager is giving you everything for free and free delivery," the boy explained.

Naminé smiled. "In that case, I'll show you everything I wish to have. Follow me," she instructed.

* * *

_'How are you supposed to buy furniture for a bathroom? What do they want me to do, buy it an extra counter?'_ Kairi thought. She was seated in a rocking chair, because she thought it would be a good way to pass the time. She closed her eyes trying to brainstorm ideas of what she could get for a bathroom.

"All friends of a girl named Olette please report the front of the store."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know they had an intercom, but I guess I better go. I'll bet they're going to throw us out the store," Kairi mumbled. She hopped out of the chair and began her walk to the front.

Everyone met in the front of the store as instructed. The manager and his two employees were standing in front of the group of seven. Sora closed his eyes tight expecting to hear the manager say: "Thanks to this gentleman, you have to play an extra thousand munny for everything!"

Instead he heard: "Everything is free for you kids," the manager announced. Six heads turned toward Olette who was blushing in embarrassment. She hadn't realized buying a complete set would give her this unwanted attention. She was now happy her old caretaker had given her six hundred munny before she dropped her off.

In only a few minutes, the furniture van was packed up with all the furniture the teens had picked up, and even more. Riku being the oldest was the only smart enough to look at the address of their home. He gave the address to the driver and the truck drove down the road in the direction of their mansion. Now that buying furniture was out of the way they needed new clothing, cleaning supplies, water and electricity, food, and lastly, they had to register at a school.

The seven walked down the street looking for a store that could fulfill their needs. Tidus sighed. _'This'll probably take all day! And we probably still won't get it all done. If only there was an easier way. Wait there is!' _he thought. It was a light bulb moment. Tidus just thought of the perfect idea. "Hey! Why don't we split up into groups?" Tidus suggested.

"And why would we do that?" Roxas asked with an attitude.

"Because, that way we can get everything done today and sooner. We'll just all meet together for school shopping and registration," Tidus replied. He decided to ignore Riku's rudeness. It would've only made him nervous.

"That's not a bad idea…I call grocery shopping with Kai-Kai!" Sora exclaimed grabbing Kairi's hand. He didn't give her a chance to object. Kairi eyes twitched and were already glaring holes in Sora's hand. She didn't like when her personal bubble was invaded.

Naminé smiled. She liked this idea. "In that case, I call cleaning supplies and I'm taking Tidus with me," she said grabbing his ear and pulling him over to the side.

"I'll do electricity then," Olette said shyly.

"I'll go with her," Roxas added. He didn't think it was right to send her all by herself. He walked over to her and found her green eyes were glued to the sidewalk. Roxas smirked. He would break her shell and force her to talk to him.

"Then I'll go alone and take care of the water issue," Riku stated. _'Perfect, now I can get away from them all,'_ he thought happily. The group was in agreement. The seven split up and went their separate ways.

The town was composed of three districts, and the orphans had only barely explored the first district. Kairi felt terrible. She didn't like where she was. Rinoa had stuck her in the middle of nowhere. Now, she was going to spend the rest of her years here with Sora and others bothering her. It was mainly Sora she was worried about. She didn't like him as much as he seemed to like her. Every time she was around him she felt agitated. He was always calling her Kai-Kai and touching her without permission. The two had been walking for a while and Sora still hadn't let go of her hand. If Kairi's eyes had lasers Sora's hand would've had to be amputated because of all the damage Kairi would've dealt.

There were some times when Sora acted properly, those were the moments Kairi preferred. She couldn't deny he had a good heart. The only problem was he always picked the worst times to show up. The worst times being the best times. Last night for example, she probably would have convinced herself to jump out the window if it wasn't for his disturbance.

"Kai-Kai?"

"What? And it's Kairi!" Kairi shouted angrily. How she hated being called Kai-Kai.

"Umm, you can let go of my hand now…" Sora mumbled. He was staring at their connected hands. She angrily snatched her hand away.

"You grabbed it," Kairi grumbled feeling offended. She frowned as she stared at the hand.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Looks like they aren't exactly getting along. But they got all their furniture for free isn't that great. Now how will they pay for everything else?_


	5. Shopping

_A/N: This one will be a little longer than usual. About one page than it usually is on Microsoft word. I'm in a writing mood!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Four: Shopping

Sora chuckled. Kairi's agitated face made him laugh. "You're a good actress. You act like you're angry at me for grabbing your hand and now you want to kill me for calling you Kai-Kai again," Sora laughed while he grinned his cheesy grin. Kairi couldn't help but laugh. Sora was so clueless. It almost made her pity him.

"Sora, thanks," Kairi finally said.

"Thanks for what?" Sora asked. He didn't understand why he was being thanked.

"For cheering me up. You're a very entertaining guy." Kairi replied with a smile of her own.

"…Is that a good thing?" Sora asked cautiously. Kairi nodded. Sora grinned proudly; he pushed out his chest a little. Kairi stifled a giggle. Sora pushed open the glass door and walked. He made sure to hold the door open for Kairi. Kairi quickly entered wanting to get out of the heat. The air conditioner was blowing in at the front doors and it felt great. Kairi was not impressed by the size of the grocery store; it was so small. No wonder they called it 'Grocery Alley' it was small like an alley.

Sora grabbed a cart. "So Kairi what do you think we need?" Sora asked as he pushed it her direction. Kairi shrugged as the two began to explore. They received strange stares as they walked through the grocery store. They entered the cereal aisle. Kairi felt kind of uncomfortable. She didn't exactly fancy the fact that people were whispering and pointing at them. Sora didn't notice, he was too busy deciding between Corn Pops and Frosted Flakes.

A little brunette girl tugged Kairi's jean skirt. Kairi looked down and saw the little girl. "Umm…did you want something?" Kairi asked trying her best not to sound rude. She bent down to the girl's level so she could see her more clearly.

"Are you and that boy married?" the girl asked in the sweetest of voices. Kairi's eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink. She shook her head quickly. "Oh, okay," the little girl replied sadly. She skipped away. Kairi scratched her head. That was the most embarrassing thing that had happened to her in a while. The little girl definitely beat how Sora acted that morning.

_'Married to him? No, that would never happen. I don't even consider him to be cute. Sure, he has that innocent, cheesy grin of his…but that's so disgusting! And I just met him too.' _Kairi thought. She and Sora would never happen, ever.

"Kai-Kai!"

Kairi screamed and stumbled back almost falling on the floor. Sora laughed nervously, "Oh, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to tell you that I chose Frosted Flakes." Sora rubbed the back of his neck. That seemed to be his nervous habit. Kairi nodded; she was still breathing heavily.

"Okay, whatever. Let's just keep picking out the food," Kairi mumbled before walking back to where Sora had left the cart.

* * *

Naminé and Tidus were shopping for cleaning supplies in the corner store they had found. Tidus simply sat back and watched as Naminé took care of the supplies. After all, she knew far more about cleaning than he would ever know. Personally, he didn't really care about it either. He just knew he'd never hear the end of it if they didn't get cleaning supplies. Naminé was the one who had added it to their list. Everyone in the house was tired of Naminé's cleanliness complaints. So no one objected when she demanded the purchasing of cleaning supplies. That way she could clean whatever she felt was dirty, maybe she would even be quieter.

"Tidus?" Naminé called. She waved her hand in front of his face trying to get his attention, that didn't work. She snapped her finger.

"Huh?" Tidus mumbled returning from his thoughts.

"Tidus, which one do you want to get? Lemon scented furniture cleaner or Orange scented furniture cleaner?" Naminé asked showing him both bottles.

Tidus rubbed his chin. He had never heard of orange scented furniture cleaner. He supposed it was new. "Umm, let's get orange scented furniture cleaner," he replied. He took the bottle from her and held it.

Naminé smiled. "Good choice, I think we have everything now. Windex, Bathroom and Kitchen cleaner, soap for every bathroom and one bottle for the kitchen, All-purpose cleaner, and now the furniture cleaner," she said taking inventory.

"Okay, who has munny?" Tidus asked. Naminé froze. Tidus gulped. He didn't like the way she reacted. "…I don't have any munny do you?" Tidus asked again. Naminé shook her head.

"How are we supposed to pay for all of this?" Naminé asked beginning to panic.

"Let's just go to the checkout counter and ask if we can get one of those debit cards," Tidus suggested grabbing the cart that held their cleaning supplies.

"Maybe they'll have an orphan discount?" Naminé laughed nervously. She followed Tidus to the checkout lane. There was only one.

The cashier looked up at them. "Did you have any trouble finding anything?" the cashier asked as he scanned their items. The two shook their heads. "That'll be twenty dollars and twenty-five cents, please."

Tidus took a deep breath. It didn't hurt to ask. "Do you have orphan discounts?" Tidus asked feeling stupid. The cashier raised an eyebrow. She stared at Naminé and Tidus for a minute before smiling happily.

"You must be two of the seven orphans who came to live in this town yesterday! Oh, everything is free of pay for you! We want to make your stay as happy as possible. Please just take your things and leave!" the cashier exclaimed happily. Tidus and Naminé looked at each other as if saying, 'This place is ludicrous.'

The cashier put their cleaning items in plastic bags and handed them to the two. Tidus being the male carried them all. The two blondes walked out of the store feeling awkward. They didn't mind the special treatment, but it was just pretty weird.

* * *

"So Olette, what are your hobbies?" Roxas asked as they walked toward the electricity company.

"Well I write poetry," Olette replied moving her brown tress behind her left ear. Roxas twitched. Poetry? His old enemy! In his orphanage his private tutor Mrs. Finnish would always make him read poetry in front of the entire orphanage. It traumatized him.

"Poetry," Roxas growled.

Olette smiled nervously. "Did I upset you?" she asked fearfully. Olette saw the way he entered the house yesterday. She didn't want to be Roxas's first victim. Roxas shook his head. He didn't want to scare Olette, she'd probably scream every time she saw him around if he did. She seemed like that kind of person. "Oh. Well we're here," she announced.

Roxas opened the door letting Olette inside first. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. Olette looked around and spotted a blue counter in front of her. On the other side was one of the employees. She smiled and walked over to the counter. Roxas decided to take a seat on one of the comfy blue chairs; he would let Olette handle this. She seemed to have the magic touch when it came to buying things.

He watched as the Olette and the employee conversed. He heard them talk about bills and what not; it looked like they would be getting the wonder electricity without a hassle. He always thought that a person had to be eighteen or older to buy something like that, but I guess this wasn't the case.

Olette signed a piece of paper. The employee put it carefully inside the drawer and waved goodbye. "Come on, Roxas. Let's go meet the others," Olette said happily. Roxas nodded and jumped up from his chair accidentally knocking it over. Olette gasped.

"My bad, here, let me knock down the rest for you," Roxas laughed. He kicked down a row of chairs and then quickly left the building. He made sure to pull Olette out with him before she attempted to stand up the chairs he knocked down.

* * *

Riku signed the contract. Talking to the manager of the water company was a piece of cake. It seemed like the manager knew of him and the circumstances he had to face. "Thanks," Riku said. He watched as the man filed away the contract.

"No problem have fun living with the six others, it'll probably be hardest for you. Being the oldest out of all of them," the manager said.

Riku eyed the manager. How did he know that? Riku never spoke a word of that. "How did you know about my living arrangements?" he asked curiously.

"Everyone knows about the new arrivals, this is a pretty small town if you haven't noticed. All the stores are giving you discounts and stuff for free," the manager explained. Riku turned turned away from the manager hiding his shocked face.

"All right," Riku said walking towards the door, "I guess we're celebrities now." He heard the manager chuckle._'I didn't want to be popular around this town. I don't want people following me around and asking about my past. They better leave me alone,'_ he thought angrily.

Riku left the building and started to walk down the street. He supposed that they would all be meeting in the center of the town. Or at least that's what he heard Tidus say before Naminé dragged him away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sora and Kairi walking with their groceries. They were talking about something. He decided he would tune in. Maybe they had figured out this town was giving things away for free too?

"Sora, you don't find it weird at all, do you?" Kairi asked.

"No, I'm just grateful. I mean we got all this great food for free!" Sora exclaimed happily. Kairi laughed punching the brunette in his arm. "Hey! I'm carrying eggs! I could've dropped them." Sora cried in horror. He acted as if that was the worst thing that could happen to him.

Kairi smiled innocently. "Oh I'm so _sorry_," she apologized. Sora grinned. He knew that wasn't a sincere apology. He gave her a light punch in the back, playfully.

"Are you two done with your shopping?" Riku asked finally revealing that he was walking behind them.

Sora grinned, "Yep! We even got it all for free isn't that great?"

"I know," Riku muttered, "Let's just meet the others."

After a few more minutes of walking they were in the center of the town. The other four were already waiting for them. Tidus waved. "Kairi!" he shouted running over to the auburn haired girl. Kairi smiled.

"Hey Tidus, I see you bought a lot," Kairi said staring at the bags in his hands.

"No, we didn't buy anything. It was weird, everything was free. Isn't that weird?" Tidus asked seeking confirmation for his belief.

Kairi shook her head. "We got everything for free too," Kairi replied.

"The town is giving us things for free because we are the new arrivals. Not to mention we are all orphans with no munny," Riku explained seeing that his companions were clueless. He heard a bunch of 'ohs'. "Let's go buy clothing then," he suggested. He was growing tired of shopping and wanted to get it over with as fast as possible.

Everyone agreed and they walked to the mall that Roxas and Olette had passed on their way to the electricity company. It wasn't a large mall, but it wasn't that small either. To Kairi's surprise their house was actually smaller than it. She was beginning to think their mansion was the biggest thing in the town. The mall was the largest thing in the small town, there was a sign at the front door that said so.

"Okay, the girls will go shopping with only girls and the boys will go shopping will only boys understand?" Naminé asked. Six other heads nodded and the group once again split up.

Kairi, Naminé, and Olette walked into a store called Pineapples to shop for clothing. Naminé was looking at all the white clothing and inspecting everything to see if any dirt or lint was on it. She wanted her new clothes to be clean. Kairi was looking at the black clothing picking up everything she liked. She refused to wear color. Olette was just trying on random outfits. Olette only wanted something she looked good in. She wasn't picky.

Sora, Riku, Tidus, and Roxas were having a more successful _'shopping spree'_. Sora had already found twelve outfits he liked. They were all the same but in different colors and the designs were a little different. Tidus only found two pairs of jeans and some shirts that he liked. He wasn't too picky, and didn't think he needed much clothing. Riku was only glancing at the black shirts. He didn't know if he wanted anything yet. Roxas had picked out the ultimate skater outfit. He got one in black and one in white. He also grabbed a pair of jeans; they were a necessity to him.

"Don't forget we have to buy our school uniforms too," Tidus advised.

"Uniforms are drag," Roxas complained, "Can't we just pretend we didn't go shopping?"

"No, everyone is staring at us," Sora replied. Roxas was quiet. "Well, come on, Rocks, let's go pick out some outfits!" Sora exclaimed.

"The name is Roxas! Am I a rock? Do I look like a rock to you?" Roxas shouted. Sora gulped. He only wanted to give Roxas a nickname. Roxas was about to beat him to a pulp.

"Hey…look someone is skating on the ceiling!" Sora shouted pointing behind Roxas. Roxas gasped and looked behind him. Sora quietly snickered and ran after Tidus.

"No one's-Hey! Come back here!" Roxas shouted chasing Sora.

* * *

Olette had forced Kairi into a pink dress. Olette and Naminé were waiting outside Kairi's dressing room. They wanted to see her in something other than black. In fact Naminé had bought a newly cleaned camera for the occasion. Kairi poked her head out of the dressing room. "Do I really have to come out?" she whined looking at her dress from behind the door. Olette nodded with a smile. Kairi huffed stepping out of the dressing room reluctantly.

Naminé smiled and took a picture of Kairi. "There we go," she said. Kairi was wearing a pink dress that fell to the middle of her thighs. It had zippers going down the middle, left, and right. The middle zipper was left unzipped for the first three inches of the dress. Underneath was a white-strapped dress. Kairi folded her arms and glared at the two girls.

"I am not wearing this," Kairi pouted.

"Well, you're getting it anyway," Olette teased pushing Kairi back into the dressing room. "I mean, Naminé and I even picked out more colorful outfits for you. And we got your school uniform for you." Olette heard Kairi growl.

Kairi stepped out of the dressing room. She was once again dressed in her black hoodie and jean skirt. She tossed the dress at Olette who caught it in a shopping bag. "Let's just go meet the guys so we can register for school," Kairi grumbled. She was ready to leave the shopping mall.

"All right, let's leave before Kairi gets even angrier," Naminé laughed while stuffing her camera in her pocket.

* * *

The boys were already done with their shopping and were lounging around the entrance waiting for the girls to come. "Someone should have gone with them, everyone knows girls don't know how to stop shopping," Roxas complained before banging his fist on Sora's head in frustration.

Sora whined rubbing the side of his head. "Roxas stop, I'm sorry," Sora apologized. Roxas smirked in triumph. Sora hugged his knees rocking back and forth. He didn't like being bullied.

Riku was listening to his CD player. He was unaware of the conversation going on between the other three boys. Not that he would have cared to listen even if he didn't have his CD player. He didn't really care about anything. Unless, of course, the matter concerned him.

Tidus laughed watching Sora. "What's wrong? Is boredom driving you insane?" Tidus joked rubbing his knuckles in Sora's gravity defying hair. "Don't worry, they'll be here soon enough then we'll just register at school and we can go back home and put all the furniture where it belongs. Aren't we lucky this is a weekend? We have a lot to do," Tidus said with a smile.

"Yeah, and school is a waste of time. When will I use math anyway? I'm going to be a professional boarder," Roxas replied putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair.

"Will you be a clean boarder?"

Roxas jumped up from his seat making the girls laugh. Naminé had actually managed to catch Roxas off guard. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," Tidus lectured with a smile plastered on his face. "Done?" he asked.

"Yes," Olette replied showing him her bags.

Kairi rolled her eyes. She was still angry about the shopping incident. "Can we just go register now?" she asked anxiously.

"Finally, someone agrees with me. Let's just go already," Riku said tucking his CD player back in his pocket.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Hooray! They're all getting along, but for how long? Poor Kairi had to wear pink and then she was mistaken as Sora's wife. But at least the sky didn't fall! Please tell me what you think!_


	6. Dysfunctional Family

_A/N: Here is the much thought about fifth chapter. Really I thought about this in my sleep! It was kind of scary at first, but then I got some good ideas so it was okay. :_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Five: Dysfunctional Family

The seven teens made their way across town lugging all their bags along with them. As they passed by people on the street would stare at them and whisper. Kairi had to admit; they did look like they were immigrants. And in a sense they were immigrants. They had just moved here. Still, she didn't like the extra attention. Riku pretended they weren't there, as he always did to everyone. Sora simply wondered what they were going to eat for dinner. Naminé was mentally deciding what she would clean first. Olette kept her head down; she didn't like it when people stared at her. Tidus only smiled and waved, he felt like a celebrity. Roxas just frowned at them making sure to give every single person he saw a dirty look.

The school was on the complete other side of the town. It was about the same size of the mall, but just a tad bit smaller. It was called Traverse Town High School. It was named after the town. Kairi wondered why it was called Traverse Town. She could only guess it had something to do with how early the sun set. It was only four in the afternoon and the sun was already disappearing from the horizon.

"Here we are. Why are the doors purple?" Tidus asked opening the door.

Sora shrieked. "Its barney purple!" he exclaimed. Kairi eyed him.

"I understand the terror, but you don't have to shriek," She muttered agitatedly.

"It's a long story…" Sora began, but Kairi didn't care to listen to the rest.

Roxas pushed open the door and watched as everyone walked inside except Naminé. She started to walk inside, but he slammed the door before she got a chance to step inside. "Like I'd hold the door open for you!" Roxas cried in a singsong voice. Naminé growled pulling open the door. That was the last straw for Naminé. Roxas gulped.

"Roxas!" Naminé screamed chasing the poor skater down the hallway. Olette giggled watching Roxas hide behind Sora. Riku rolled his eyes.

_'We sure are going to make a **great** impression aren't we?'_ Riku thought.

Kairi laughed and opened the door to the main office. This was going to be a long registration. She was sure the counselor would have plenty of questions for them. The rest of the town seemed too. Everyone walked inside and Kairi closed the door. Behind a desk a man with silver hair was sitting in a black chair. His golden eyes seemed to be scanning a stack of papers that was in front of him.

"Have a seat," he said without even bothering to look up and face them. To Kairi's surprise there were actually seven seats in the room. He must've been preparing for their arrival. He stacked the papers and put them to the side. He looked up and stared at the seven. "I was just looking at your school records, Ms. Olette I'm very impressed," he stated. His voice was very monotone.

"W-Why?" Olette asked; her voice was trembling.

"Your grades are outstanding," he replied. He cleared his throat. "I am your Counselor Xehanort, I'll be handling your registration today." He opened the top draw in his desk and pulled out many different colored sheets of paper.

He passed them out to the seven. Sora began reading each paper with baffled looks. He nudged Kairi. "What is it, Sora?" Kairi asked.

"Can you help me, I don't know what it means," Sora replied staring at the word _'propaganda'_. Kairi giggled. She knew Sora wasn't the brightest of boys, but how could he not know what propaganda meant? "What's so funny?" Sora cried.

She shook her head. "I'll help you fill the papers out then, and when we get home I'm going to school you in vocabulary," Kairi replied in a matter of fact tone. Sora whined. "No whining," she added.

An hour later they were finally finished filling out all the paperwork. Sora was, of course, confused with everything and had to have everything explained to him multiple times. Xehanort said they would receive their new schedules on Monday. Kairi couldn't wait; it was her opportunity to start fresh. In her last school she wasn't exactly the liked kid. Everyone had some kind of grudge against her. This was the reason she was often fighting in school. Even the chess club, she hadn't even known the chess club could fight.

The six were waiting outside for Riku. He was still in Xehanort's office. Riku was having a private talk with him about something. Roxas was once again doing his skateboard tricks, but this time with a box of eggs on his head. Sora was pleading Roxas to put the poor eggs back. Tidus and Kairi were arm-wrestling. Naminé was watching Roxas do his tricks; she was slightly impressed. Olette was writing poetry on her arm; she had no paper.

"Roxas is really good a skateboarding," Naminé stated.

"He better not harm those eggs," Sora grumbled watching fearfully, "If he drops a single one I'll pummel him."

Naminé laughed. "When it comes to food you'll do anything won't you?" She saw Sora nod. "You're such a lazy bum, you only move when food is involved," Naminé assessed.

"Yeah and I'm proud of it!" Sora said happily. He even grinned to show her he wasn't kidding. Naminé rolled her eyes. She never liked lazy bums. They were always so lazy. She couldn't stand lazy people; they were one of the many things wrong with the worlds.

_Slam_

Everyone spun around to see a very upset Riku. "Let's go," Riku grumbled quickly walking down the hallway. Kairi gulped. She quickly chased Riku down the hallway followed by the others who chose to walk and keep their distance from the fuming albino boy.

Kairi caught up to Riku once they were out of the school building. "Riku, what's wrong?" Kairi inquired as she tried to make eye contact with him. He kept looking away. He figured she would get the message that he didn't want to talk to her. "Riku, keeping your feelings bottled up in not healthy. I would know," Kairi advised.

Riku huffed. "Why do you care?" he asked.

"Because, we're going to be living together. We should be there for each other and right now you need someone to be there for you," Kairi explained. _'I sound like some kind of psychiatrist,' _she thought.

Riku sighed. He knew Kairi was right. He shouldn't keep his emotions bottled up all the time, but he was so used to it. He hardly ever expressed his emotions. "Fine, that counselor just gets me so angry. He shouldn't accuse people when he doesn't even know them," Riku grumbled.

"What did he say to you?" Kairi asked.

"He told me that this school doesn't have any gangs so I should find something better to do with my spare time," Riku replied feeling his anger rise as he repeated the words.

Kairi frowned. "Mr. Xehanort shouldn't have said that. But he doesn't know the real you Riku, so you should show him you're better than that. When he sees he was wrong he'll be embarrassed and try to apologize. And you don't have to accept his apology," she replied.

Riku smiled for a second but then went to his usual frown. "Thank you, Kairi," Riku said finally making eye contact with the auburn haired girl. She smiled.

"So! What are we making for dinner?" Sora exclaimed jumping in-between the two and resting his arms on their shoulders. "I'll be the chef of course, because I'm sure I can cook better than anyone in this dysfunctional family!" Sora announced proudly. Kairi giggled.

"Sora, you just ruined the moment," Kairi said lightly punching him in the arm. "You can't just go around ruining people's moments it's illegal you know," she teased. Sora gasped and removed his arms. He started to back away.

"I wasn't here," he whispered. Riku smirked. Sora was so gullible. He would have to get used to the idea of a dysfunctional family. He'd never had one before. Not one that he thought mattered, anyway.

The group finally reached their home. They expected to see their furniture piled up in the entrance hallway. Sora opened the door and was surprised by what he saw. He turned around to face the others. "Ah!" he exclaimed. Everyone gave him the 'What the heck are you saying Sora? Did you take your medicine?' look. Sora hit his head with the palm of his hand.

Roxas shoved Sora out of the way of the front door. He gasped. "Hey! Someone arranged our furniture for us," Roxas exclaimed as he trampled through cardboard boxes. He didn't know they were there.

"Roxas, move!" Naminé said pulling the box from under Roxas's feet. He came crashing to the ground. He was about to speak but Naminé covered his mouth with her hand. "Hey, it's a box of bed sheets, table cloths, silverware, blankets, and pillowcases!" Naminé announced happily. Roxas was surprised he didn't realize he was standing on the boxes.

Olette opened a different one. "This one has a vacuum cleaner and broom inside," Olette stated smiling.

Tidus picked up another box. "Hey, this one has a microwave inside!" he exclaimed. "Wow, we really hit jackpot with these gifts."

"I wonder who gave them to us," Riku said rubbing his chin.

Kairi picked up a yellow card. It had been dropped on the ground. She opened the card and started to read it out loud.

_Hello new friends!_

_Welcome to Traverse Town. We sincerely hope you enjoy your stay at this wonderfully abundant town. It may not look like much but it's great once you get used to it. (Especially when you venture out of the first district!) Selphie, don't write that! But mom I wrote it in pen! So you shouldn't have told them that now they'll all be wondering. Mom, why are we having a conversation on their card? Oh sorry anyways! We hope to see you soon!_

_Love,_

_The Tillmit's._

Sora broke into laughter. "They wrote a conversation on a card!" he laughed.

Naminé rolled her eyes. "Sora, did you take your medicine this morning because it sure doesn't seem like it. You shouldn't be laughing at the wonderful family who gave us these gifts," she lectured.

"What medicine?" Sora asked.

Naminé was about to explode on the clueless brunette. Kairi grabbed Naminé before she could strike Sora. "Let's go inside," Kairi suggested pulling the blonde girl into the house.

Roxas started laughing. "You almost got pummeled by a girl!" Roxas laughed. Sora cocked his head. He didn't understand what was going on.

A shoe flew out of the house and hit Roxas on his face. "Hey!" Roxas exclaimed. Naminé's shoe had just hit him in the face. Inside was a note. He pulled it out and started to read. "Don't underestimate the power of an enraged girl," he read. Roxas shrugged and tossed the note over his shoulder. He wouldn't need it.

Everyone went inside the house and started to put their supplies away. Sora and Kairi were putting away the groceries, Namine and Tidus were putting the cleaning supplies away, Olette and Roxas didn't have any supplies so they simply took care of the vacuum and broom, and Riku took care of everything else.

Riku simply tossed sheets, blankets, and pillowcases into rooms. He didn't pay attention to what color they were. He honestly didn't care. After he was done with that he grabbed the microwave and headed back downstairs.

* * *

"Sora, I didn't know you cooked," Kairi said starting up a conversation. Sora chuckled.

"Well, I don't mean to brag but I was the chef at my old orphanage it was the only thing they could get me to do. Do you cook too, Kai-Kai?" Sora asked as he put up the freezer goods.

Kairi laughed. "Me cook? No, I'm the worse chef you'll ever meet. I'd probably burn the house down if I tried to cook," Kairi explained as she finished putting a month's supply of food in the wooden cabinets.

Sora grinned. "Then it's decided. While you teach me that vocabulary stuff I'll teach you how to cook," Sora said. "Deal?"

"Deal." The two shook hands. "So what're you cooking for dinner?" Kairi asked.

"It's a surprise," Sora replied happily.

* * *

Roxas slammed the closet door. He rubbed his hands together. "Now I'm going to watch television in the living room! I wonder who gave us a television…oh well, bye, Olette!" Roxas shouted he was already running down the hallway toward the living room. Olette smiled. She planned on finishing the poem she started. First, she would have to transfer it to a piece of paper.

Roxas jumped on the couch and reached for the remote, but someone got to it before him. Sitting beside him was none other than Naminé. Roxas growled. "Give me the remote Naminé!" Roxas exclaimed trying to pry it out of her hands.

"No! My cleaning show is on!" Naminé replied.

"But today is the start of the X-games!" Roxas whined.

"Oh well, you should have gotten here before me," Naminé replied. She had no sympathy for him. Roxas and Naminé glared at each other. The two could hear the sound of the wrestling gong. It signaled them to fight. They leapt at each other and started to fight for the right to hold the remote.

Roxas started to pull on Naminé's hair while she kicked him in his leg. Roxas moved away about to make a run for the remote that had flown across the room. Naminé pulled him back and tackled him onto the couch. She began he pound on his back. Roxas flipped over and kicked Naminé off of him. Tidus entered the room in the middle of their fight. He noticed Naminé and Roxas wrestling, but decided it was better not to get involved. He picked up the remote that was lying in front of him. "Just my luck the Blitzball game is about to start," Tidus said taking a seat on the loveseat. He flipped to the channel and began to watch his game.

Roxas and Naminé stopped fighting at the sound of the television. They spotted Tidus.

"Hey!" they both cried in unison.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: The battle for the remote. Hee Hee. Hooray for Riku he finally expressed his feelings in a calm way. Well almost calm. He still has a long way to go. Please leave a review and I'll get back with you!_


	7. Threatening Dinner

_A/N: Hooray for chapter six. I have someone to honor in this beautiful author's note for a funny review. Here is ImmortalBlueFlame's review I really like it it's awesome!_

_(Hands Riku a stress ball) squeeze it it helps  
Riku: (throws it at Roxas)  
Roxas: hey (picks it up and throws it at Naminé)  
Naminé: (throws it a Tidus)  
Tidus: (throws it at Sora and Kairi)  
(stress ball lands in soup)  
Kairi:... . (glare)  
Sora: there she blows (ducks)  
Kairi: (rampages, really it looks like a tornado just went threw the house)  
...note to self stress balls are you enemy..._

_Well now on with the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter Six: Threatening Dinner

"What? You guys were too busy fighting so I figured I'd watch my Blitzball game. Is that such a crime?" Tidus asked unaware of what they were fighting about. Roxas and Naminé glared at him.

"Fine, I'm going to go outside and board on the porch and pretend I was watching the X-games," Roxas grumbled. He picked up his skateboard and went to whisper something in Tidus's ear before leaving.

_'I'm going to kill you.'_

Tidus gulped. Naminé stood up. "And…I'm going to go watch him because I have nothing else to do!" she stated stomping out of the living room. Tidus shrugged and continued to watch his game. He could at least enjoy blitzball before he died.

In the kitchen, Riku was putting up the silverware while Sora and Kairi were cooking tonight's dinner. Sora was doing most of the cooking while reciting vocabulary words. Kairi was simply watching Sora cook while trying to memorize everything he was doing.

"Okay Kai-Kai, now put a pinch of salt into the stew," Sora instructed handing Kairi the salt. Kairi gulped. She didn't know what he meant by a pinch. _'Maybe he meant pour a lot?' _she thought. She shrugged and started to pour salt in as Sora watched in horror.

"Like that?" she asked laughing nervously. The look on his face said otherwise.

Sora shook his head. "You just made dinner extra salty," Sora replied staring at the foiled stew. Kairi frowned and set the salt on the counter. "But don't worry I'm sure it won't taste that bad I mean with all the seasoning you put in that should make up for it," Sora added trying to make her feel better.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel better," Kairi joked.

Riku had been listening to their conversation. He didn't exactly like the sound of _extra salty_. "I won't be eating dinner tonight," Riku muttered closing the draw he put the silverware in. "I don't feel well," he lied.

"Oh, get better soon Riku," Sora said pushing the albino boy out of the kitchen. "Don't share your germs!" he laughed.

Kairi raised an eyebrow. _'He just didn't want to eat the dinner Sora and I made, party pooper,' _Kairi thought as she poured the stew into separate bowls. Once it was cooled down Sora would call everyone in the kitchen for dinner.

* * *

Olette finished putting the orange sheets she had found in her room on her bed. She was lucky she got her favorite color. She sat on her bed and continued to write the poem she had started.

"Disappearing? No…how about vanishing…no. Oh! Fading," Olette said talking to herself. She always did this when she was deep in thought. Or so people claimed that she did, she'd never paid attention so she didn't know. She quickly jotted some words down on her paper before safely tucking it under her pillow. She didn't want anyone to see her poem until it was finished. "I think I'll go see if dinners finished," she said to herself.

* * *

"Naminé, if you liked that trick watch this!" Roxas exclaimed jumping up in the air and doing a quick handstand on his board. Naminé clapped. Roxas enjoyed entertaining people no matter who they were. It just so happened that this time his audience was her.

_"Dinner's ready!"_

Naminé stood up. "I wonder what they made," she said to herself opening the door. Roxas was about to walk inside but Naminé slammed the door on his face. "Look familiar Roxas?" she laughed. Roxas growled and pulled open the door. Naminé ran towards the kitchen trying to get away from the angered blonde boy.

* * *

Sora finished setting the table. He gave bowls to Olette and Tidus who were already seated. "Okay, enjoy the dinner that me and Kai-Kai made," Sora said grabbing his own and collapsing in his chair. "Man, it feels good to sit," he announced.

"You were only standing for thirty minutes," Kairi nagged grabbing a bowl and sitting next to Olette. She watched as Sora started to stuff his mouth with the beef stew they had just made. It was so disgusting to watch. The liquid from the stew was running down his chin and some potatoes had been smashed onto his face. Kairi couldn't watch stand to watch the _monster_ eat. "How about we wait for Roxas and Naminé before we start eating?" Kairi suggested.

"All right," Sora pouted wiping his mouth clean.

As if on cue, Naminé and Roxas ran into the kitchen. Roxas jumped on top of Naminé and started pulling at her blonde locks. Naminé screamed as she flailed her arms trying to push him off. Olette gasped and sunk into her chair; she didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Sora simply cheered for Roxas. Kairi sighed and held her head. Tidus stood up and attempted to separate the two.

"Come on guys, get off each other," Tidus said as he strained to pull Roxas off of the screaming girl. "Please, just enjoy Sora and Kairi's wonderful beef stew dinner," he pleaded. Roxas stopped attacking Naminé. There was a twinkle in his eye. Beef stew was his favorite dish.

Roxas jumped up sending Tidus to the ground. "Beef stew!" he exclaimed quickly grabbing a bowl and taking a seat next to Sora. Tidus helped up Naminé. She dusted herself off and glared at Roxas. She got her bowl and sat next to Kairi filling in the space between her and Tidus.

Finally, the dinner had officially started. Sora continued stuffing his face. Olette took a bite and flinched. She looked like she was going to be sick. Roxas took a bite and found it hard to swallow. Tears formed in his eyes, the salt was burning the back of his throat. Now, he would always hate beef stew. Tidus saw the looks on the others faces and took a bite out of curiosity. He swallowed hard and fanned himself, he felt like passing out. Naminé took a bite and instantly coughed it out; there was no way she was swallowing that.

Kairi gulped and stared at the food. _'I hope we don't all die because it's too salty,' _Kairi thought. She took a small bite. The taste was so strong she squirmed and fell out of her chair. Sora was the only one with a strong enough stomach to enjoy this meal.

He stared at the others as they forced themselves to eat. "What's wrong? Isn't it great?" Sora asked innocently. They didn't answer him. He shrugged and put his bowl in the sink. "And Kai-Kai you might want to get off of the floor," he suggested in a matter of fact tone.

Kairi took a deep breath and sat back in her chair. Everyone was giving her nasty looks. She laughed nervously. "Your food sucks! Are you trying to give us all heart attacks?" Roxas exclaimed standing up and putting his bowl in the sink. The others nodded and followed his actions.

"I'm sorry," Kairi apologized setting her bowl in the sink with the others. Naminé sighed and started to wash the dishes. "I'll go to my room, thanks for eating some of it," she mumbled before running out of the kitchen. Kairi ran up the two staircases that led to the third floor. She opened her door to see Sora looking through her things. "Sora!" she exclaimed. Kairi was bewildered; how did he beat her up the stairs?

Sora jumped up with guilt on his face. He was holding Kairi's undergarments in his hand. "Sora!" she shouted again.

Sora laughed nervously. "Uh hi K-Kairi, it isn't what it looks like!" Sora exclaimed backing away from her. Kairi cracked her knuckles. She wasn't going to let Sora escape her wrath. "Don't hurt me!" Sora squealed. Kairi cornered Sora.

"Sora, you're lucky you're my friend or else this is what I would have done," Kairi growled grabbing his collar. "I would have thrown you on the floor like this." She threw Sora onto the ground. "And I would have kicked you several times in your gut!" She started kicking Sora in his gut.

Sora groaned in pain. "Kairi, stop!" he pleaded. Kairi jumped on top of him. "Now she's going to spit on my face please stop! Kairi stop! Don't be a monster!" he cried. The fear was leaping from his voice box.

Kairi smirked. "Fine I won't give you a hug and apologize," she said standing up, "Just don't be a pervert and go through my things, okay?"

"But I wasn't! I just wanted to know why you were so depressed so I started digging through your bags and stuff…and I found things I didn't want to see," Sora laughed rubbing the back of his neck. His cheeks were crimson.

"Oh, well as long as it wasn't your true intentions," Kairi said, "But still I'll say this only once. Stay. Out. Of. My. Stuff." She made sure to emphasize each word. Sora nodded. Kairi picked up the sheets that Riku had given her preparing to put them on her bed. She growled when she realized what color they were. She turned on the light and confirmed her worst nightmare. They were pink. "Why is everyone giving me pink things?" she cried in outrage.

Sora shrugged even though he knew it was a rhetorical question. "Maybe they all want to see Kai-Kai in something other than black, I'll bet you'd look very attractive in pink or lavender or some other color! I mean honestly, even your undies are black!" Sora exclaimed. Kairi growled and slapped Sora. "Ow!" he whined rubbing his cheek.

"Stop talking about my underwear!" Kairi exclaimed.

Sora continued to rub his cheek. "Gosh Kai-Kai you didn't have to strike my cheek you know," Sora muttered. Kairi reluctantly put the sheets on her bed. She couldn't wait till wash day. She would make sure that next time she would get a different color. "Kai-Kai?" Sora called.

"What is it, Sora?" The agitation was flowing out of her mouth.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Kairi paused for a minute. "Why would _you_ ask a question like that Sora? Of course I don't have a boyfriend!" she cried.

"Uh it's h-helping my research, t-that checks boyfriend off the list!" Sora stuttered rubbing the back of his neck. "You never know boyfriend problems can get a girl down can't they…look at the time I better go bye!" Sora quickly left the room running across the hallway and closing his door. Kairi stood by her bed in silence. She was even more confused then she had been before he asked the stupid question.

"Man, he's such an idiot," she grumbled putting her blanket on her bed. Lucky for her it wasn't pink it was dark blue. She could work with that.

She fell back on her bed and sighed. Kairi began to wonder why she was even here. Why did Rinoa send her to this house with the other six orphans? Maybe they were just trying to get rid of those that would never be adopted. Did Rinoa really think that there wasn't a family out there for her? _'Rinoa, how could you be so cruel as to think that?' _she thought with a sigh.

* * *

Rinoa sat at her small desk in her office. She was faced with a dilemma. She was wondering how she would get all of these kids out of the orphanage in time. She only had a couple of weeks before this place would be turned into a parking lot. What could she do? She only had twenty kids left.

"Why does it have to be so hard to find kids good families that won't bring them back?" Rinoa asked herself, "Just twenty kids, I want them to have homes or else they might have to live on the streets." Rinoa shivered at the thought. If only she had been smart and saved some money away, now that she couldn't pay the bills her beloved orphanage was going to be torn down. At least she had gotten Kairi a home; she already knew no family would adopt a teenager.

_'I hope she doesn't hate me for sending her to live with the other kids, but I had no other choice and that was the only opening. I know Kairi wasn't ready to live on her own. I should've told her to reason she probably thinks I gave up on her like everyone else that has entered her life.'_

The black haired woman stood up. "I have a great idea, I'll put posters all over the town and throw a small adoption party there are bound to be some parents looking to adopt," she said running out of her office.

* * *

Riku had fallen asleep already. Since he refused to eat dinner he ended up falling asleep due to his boredom. He was tossing and turning under his brown blanket. The dream he was having wasn't exactly of the pleasant sort.

_It was Christmas morning. A little silver haired boy rolled out of his covers revealing his gray pajamas. He opened his aqua eyes they were beaming with happiness. He slipped on his slippers. This year's Christmas was going to be great. He would have his mother and father with him the entire time. For the past six Christmases that he had been alive for, his father had been off fighting in a war. But now he was home._

_The happy little boy ran down the white marble stairs to see his mother and father sitting on the couch talking about something. He was very proud of his father; he was a war hero. His dream was to become just like him when he was older._

"_Mommy, Daddy it's Christmas morning!" the little boy exclaimed happily. _

"_Yes, we know Riku," his father spat. Riku's happy face disappeared why was his father angry on Christmas it was supposed to be a happy day, not a sad one. _

"_Daddy, what's the matter?" _

"_You're the thing that is wrong." _

_It only took a few things to make Riku cry and this was one of them. "But Daddy, why are you mad at me?" His father refused to answer he only looked away. He was ashamed to make eye contact with his son. Riku looked at his mother hoping for an answer. _

_She only turned away. "Riku, darling, you are to pack up your things and wait on the porch for the orphanage vehicle to come pick you up," she stated. _

"_Why are you sending me away?" Riku cried tears sliding down his cheeks. _

"Don't send me away…don't send me away!" Riku shouted in his sleep tossing and turning. Tears were flowing down his cheeks.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Poor Riku being tormented by his sad past. Of course that was only a small preview, who knows what else happened to him. Now please leave a wonderful review and I will get back to you with a reply! Besides you would make your dear author Aerith extremely happy! And don't you want to make me happy? Don't answer that..._


	8. Dreams

_A/N: This is great I might actually be able to update both of my fan-fictions in the same day! Isn't that wonderful because that hardly ever happens now because the wondrous beauty of high-speed Internet distracts me. I sound really lazy don't I?_

_Naminé: But it's in your nature_

_Me: Gee thanks! Wait!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts but I do slightly own this idea that has had much tweaking for it to work as a story:_

* * *

Chapter Seven: Dreams

Sora sighed, he was still leaning on the back of his door. "Okay, we shall pretend this never happened," Sora said as he took many deep breaths, "What was I doing this evening? I was simply watching television downstairs with Tidus and I came up here because I was tired and felt like finally putting the sheets on my bed! Yeah, that's it!" Sora looked down and noticed he was standing on red sheets. He tugged them and ended up falling because he forgot he was standing on them. He laughed at himself and put his sheets on his bed.

After he was finished he sat on his bed and covered himself with his red blanket. "I guess I'll get some sleep I wonder what we're doing tomorrow morning since we took care of all our shopping today," Sora asked tiredly. He yawned and collapsed onto his bed. He quickly drifted into his slumber.

_A little brunette boy was eagerly jumping up and down. He was wearing red shorts and a v-neck white shirt with yellow sandals. He had brown, gravity-defying, spiky hair and cerulean blue eyes._ "_Today's the day I'm going to get adopted!" he cried gleefully as he pranced around the room. The other kids in the room stared at him strangely. _

_A little blonde boy walked over to him. "Sora, how do you know?" he asked scratching his head. _

"_Remember the family that was talking to me yesterday? Well the lady said she would adopt me!" Sora cried happily grabbing the boy's hand. He happily swung around with the boy. "I'm so happy now I'll have a family! And maybe they'll adopt you too and we can be brothers!" _

"_Yeah!" the boy cheered. He was now getting into the spirit of Sora's celebration._

_The door opened and a blonde woman and a red haired man entered the room. Sora jumped up and down. The lovely couple waved a quick 'hello' and turned their attention to a small little periwinkle haired girl. Her name was Fuu. _

_A brunette woman stepped out of her office and started to talk to the couple. Sora and his little friend ran over to hear what they were talking about. Sora wondered why the family was wasting their time with Fuu. He was confident he and his friend were going to be adopted by them._

"_What happened to Sora? Didn't you say you wanted to adopt him?" _

"_That was only because he was around, you see we didn't want to hurt his feelings but he's a little to hyperactive for our tastes and we'd already taken a better liking to Fuu so we would like to adopt her." _

"_Oh, I see, well come this way please." _

_Sora was hurt. Another family turned him down because he was too hyperactive. He didn't even know what that word meant. He sighed. Whatever hyperactive meant he would have to stop doing it in order to be loved. _

* * *

Naminé finished washing the dishes and put them away in the cabinet. She smiled and decided to clean the rest of the kitchen. After all, it was very dirty and desperately needed to be cleaned. She began cleaning the counters while she started to sing.

_I know there's something in the wake of your smile  
I get an notion from the look in your eyes...yeah  
You've Built a love but that love falls apart  
Your little piece of heaven turns to dark_

_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you  
Listen to your heart  
There's nothing else you can do  
I don't know where your going, and I don't know why  
But listen to your heart before  
You tell him goodbye_

Roxas smirked. He had to admit Naminé was a great singer. She hit the notes perfectly; it also made him wonder how many times she had listened to that song. Maybe she was just another fan girl. He decided that he would join in on her little singing moment. A little singing never hurt anyone. Besides he knew he didn't sound that terrible.

_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile  
The precious moments are all lost in the tide…yeah  
They're swept away and nothing is what it seems  
The feeling of belonging…to your dreams_

Naminé jumped hearing Roxas sing with her. She frowned and finished the counters. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a slight grumble. She waited for his answer as she squeezed out the extra water from the sponge in the sink. "I thought you didn't like watching or even hearing anything about cleaning," she added.

Roxas shrugged. "I couldn't resist when I heard you singing," he chuckled. Naminé stuck out her tongue. "What! You watched my skating now I'm going to watch your cleaning no matter how much it hurts. Not to mention the fact that I will be eating food."

She rolled her eyes. _'Talk about immaturity to the maximum,'_ she thought as left the kitchen to grab the broom. She quickly returned to the kitchen to see Roxas spilling crumbs from his cookie all over the floor. "Hey! Roxas! Stop making such a mess you sloppy eater!" she cried.

"What? This food has a nature to leave crumbs!" Roxas exclaimed. Naminé hissed and started to whack the blonde boy with her broom. Roxas cried trying to get away from the stinging strikes of the wooden handle. He stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth and frantically searched for the exit. He was unable to see due to the broom hitting his head; the bristles were covering his eyes with every hit. Roxas cried, "Attack of the mad-woman with her evil broom!"

Naminé lowered the broom and raised an eyebrow. "Very creative," she teased as she watched him nurse his sore head. "That'll teach you to make a mess in this kitchen." She began to sweep the floor while Roxas sat in a chair. He watched and made occasional remarks about her sweeping technique.

* * *

Tidus tiredly walked up the staircase as he tried to ignore the bickering coming from the kitchen. His favorite Blitzball team had just lost the championship all because the stupid referee fell into the water. This was the opposing team's fault, by the way. The referee was hit with a ball by his team because he was in the way. He hated teams that cheated and he now sought revenge on that team's captain. He would get some sleep first, though.

He walked into his room and jumped into his un-made bed. He let out a heavy sigh realizing he still hadn't put his sheets on. "I'm too tired for this," he grumbled as he once again stood on his feet. He grabbed the yellow sheets and sloppily put them on the mattress. He grabbed his blue blanket and jumped into his bed already halfway asleep. Nothing would disturb his slumber.

This excluded an angry Naminé and Roxas stomping up the stairs and slamming their doors. Tidus growled and rolled on his backside. He closed his eyes again hoping to fall asleep this time, but he heard Roxas shouting in his room about how irritating Naminé was.

Tidus growled again. "Shut up, Roxas!" he shouted. He heard nothing and was satisfied by his accomplishment. He closed his eyes again and felt the ground beneath him. He opened his eyes only to see Roxas stepping all over his face.

"Tell me to shut up again and see what happens!" Roxas exclaimed before running out of Tidus's room and into his own. Tidus whined and climbed back into his bed. He would see what damage was done in the morning.

_Ding Dong_

Kairi rolled out of her comfy bed and hit the floor. She could've sworn she heard someone ring the doorbell. She shook her head. _'No Kairi, you're just hearing things because it's early in the morning. Go back to sleep and everything will be fine, and you can go back to that dream you were having,' _she thought with a yawn. Kairi slipped back into her bed and snuggled up under her covers.

_Ding Dong_

Once again Kairi fell out of her bed hitting the ground. Kairi grumbled as she shakily regained her stance. Her room was still dark; she wasn't meant to be awake this early.

_Ding Dong_

Kairi growled and opened her door and stormed down all of the stairs. Everyone else still seemed to be asleep. She ran down the staircases and hallways until she reached the entrance hallway.

_Ding Dong_

She pulled open the door already angry that someone had dared wake her up way too early. The steam was practically oozing out of her ears. On the other side of the door she saw a petite, brunette. In her hands was a cake that said 'Welcome to Traverse Town!' Kairi suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

"Who are you?" she asked cocking her head to one side. She decided she would be nice for the girl that dared to bring the dysfunctional family a cake.

The brunette giggled and smiled. "My name's Selphie Tillmit!" she exclaimed holding out her hand for Kairi to shake. Kairi took it and every bone in her body began to shake; Selphie had such a strong grip for a girl of her size. "Sorry to wake you, but I couldn't retain myself I really wanted to give you this cake I made for you and the other six, speaking of which where are they?" she asked curiously. Selphie peered into the house seeing nothing but empty walls.

"They're all asleep, I'm Kairi by the way," Kairi said opening the door wider so Selphie could come inside. Selphie only handed Kairi the cake.

She smiled. "I'm sorry but I can't come in, my mother and I have errands to do. It was nice meeting you Kairi and I hope I'll see you at school tomorrow!" Selphie cried before running off the porch and into a green bug. Kairi was confused by the flower design that was on the hood of the car. It was too girly for her tastes. The little car drove away and Kairi saw Selphie waving goodbye through the rear window.

"What a strange little car," Kairi mumbled while closing the door, "I guess I'll go put this cake in the kitchen."

Kairi walked into the kitchen to see Riku in there staring at the wall. Kairi giggled. "Riku, no matter how long you stare at it the color isn't going to change," she stated. She startled him.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Just got here, some strange girl named Selphie gave us this cake," she answered. Kairi set the cake on the counter. "I'm guessing her family is the one who gave us that card and all those other gifts."

Riku shrugged. "I guess," he muttered.

"Riku, what's the matter with you?" she asked with concern in her voice.

He turned around to face her. "Nothing," he mumbled.

"What did we talk about yesterday?" Kairi asked tapping her foot on the floor. She didn't believe Riku had forgotten their little chat, so she assumed he was just avoiding talking to her.

Riku sighed, "It's just about my past, nothing that important."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Well obviously it's bothering you so I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me all about it," Kairi replied. Riku frowned.

"Do I really have to?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, you might as well take a seat because I'm going to have you here for a while," Riku replied reluctantly. Kairi sat in one of the chairs surrounding the table. "Well, you see, last night I just happened to have a dream about the day I was sent to the orphanage. My parents didn't exactly like me, especially my father. So it was my eighth Christmas and you know how kids enjoy Christmas. So I was extremely excited. I ran down the stairs to see my parents seated on the couch. They told me to gather my things and sit on the porch because the orphanage was coming to get me."

Kairi gasped, "That's so mean. I'm sorry, Riku."

"You didn't do anything so there's nothing for you to be sorry about. I just hope I never have to see my parents again."

Kairi smiled sadly. She stood up and walked over to Riku. "No one should ever have to go through that," she whispered. Kairi then pulled Riku into a hug. Riku couldn't help but stare at her with wide eyes. He hadn't had a hug in a long time; it made him feel something he'd forgotten.

She pulled away and smiled. "What was that your first hug?" Kairi asked. Riku decided to humor her, so he nodded. She smiled. "Well then, I'll bet you're feeling happy," she concluded.

"Happy?"

"Yes, it's a very good feeling, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

Sora popped in-between them. "Hey guys, what do want for breakfast?" Sora asked laughing nervously. "How about waffles or pancakes?"

Kairi glared at him. "Sora, we were in the middle of a conversation!" she exclaimed angrily.

"But nothing is more important that the most important meal of the day!" Sora protested, "Now what do you want!" Kairi sighed and shook her head. Why was he so annoying?

_

* * *

_

_A/N: All cheer for Riku he felt happy! Of course then Sora had to butt in what's the matter with that spiky brunette boy? Well we found out a little about Sora now didn't we, who was his mysterious blonde best friend? Got any guesses? You should tell me in your review I want to know what everyone thinks!_


	9. My Brunette Friend

_A/N: Hooray for chapter eight! I really wish I had some dramatic background music because then I would play it all the time and when I say all the time I mean all the time that it would get so annoying and people would want to kill me. Regardless let's get on with the chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is something that I do not own, but I do own a pair of jean pants :_

* * *

Chapter Eight: My Brunette Friend

"How about we just eat cake for breakfast?" Kairi suggested. She eyed the cake Selphie had given her. It looked better than taking a chance on helping Sora with another meal, and she was eager to taste it. Kairi loved cake. Sora raised an eyebrow. He scanned the kitchen and his eyes landed on the cake. Sora ran over to the cake and started to study it. "What are you doing, Sora?" Kairi asked as she watched the strange boy.

Sora turned around. "I have to make sure it is cooked properly," Sora replied. He returned his attention to the cake and began to sniff the air around it. He examined the sides of the cake and then smiled. "Okay! We can eat it!" Sora announced proudly. Riku rolled his eyes. "Can I cut it? Can I? Please let me cut it!" Sora begged.

"Fine, do the honors Sora," Kairi said. She handed him a knife from the drawer. Sora smiled and started the cut the cake. He cut three equal pieces for Kairi, Riku, and himself. Kairi and Riku got forks and sat at the table. Sora brought the cake to the table on plates. He passed a plate to both Riku and Sora before he dug in.

Kairi tasted a piece. "This is pretty good," she said happily. Riku didn't even hear Kairi because he was too distracted by Sora's eating habits. It was like watching an animal. He still didn't even have a fork in his hand. Riku scooted closer to Kairi. "Sora!" Kairi scolded.

Sora sat up and looked at Kairi. "What?" he asked with his mouth full. Cake bits were falling out of it.

"Eat like a normal person and get a fork please," Kairi instructed as she watched the brunette boy wipe the crumbs and frosting from about his mouth.

"Fine," Sora huffed. He reached across the table and grabbed a fork. "I don't see what the big deal is either way the food will end up in your stomach why does it matter how you eat it?" Sora grumbled to himself. Kairi chuckled as she watched Sora grumble; he was a very entertaining boy.

Riku finished his slice of cake. "That was nice piece of cake, and it was talking to you two but I'm going back to my room," he said. He was escaping. He dropped his plate and fork in the sink and quietly excused himself. Sora watched him leave. Once Riku was completely out of sight Sora sat down next to Kairi.

Kairi blinked. "What's up?" she asked.

Sora grinned. "I wanted to sit my best buddy!" he exclaimed. His smile quickly turned into a frown. He started to pout. "How come Riku gets a hug and I don't?" Sora asked with a whine in his voice. Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"That's why you interrupted us, isn't it? You're jealous!" Kairi exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes; she was onto him. "If you wanted a hug you could've asked you know, instead of changing the subject," she added with a smile.

"I'm not jealous! I was really hungry and I figured I would make breakfast for you two!" Sora protested nervously.

"Of course you aren't," Kairi replied in a sarcastic tone. Sora frowned. A slight blush was already on his face. "Anyway, what do you say about going out to town with Tidus and I?" Kairi asked.

"Does that mean you're ready?" Tidus asked. His head popped into the kitchen. He was already dressed in baggy blue jeans and a yellow hooded sweater. For a blonde the color yellow did look nice on him.

Kairi shook her head. "You know, I have to repay you for waking me up at midnight," Kairi replied.

_Tidus tiptoed into Kairi's room, silently closing the door behind him. He spotted the auburn haired girl lying on her bed fast asleep. He quietly walked over to her side. He took a deep breath and started to shake her._

_"W-What?" Kairi asked rubbing her eyes, "Is it morning already?"_

_Tidus shook his head. "No it's midnight, but I was just wondering if you wanted to go out to town with me to pick up a few things," Tidus asked. _

_Kairi grumbled, "You wake me up at midnight for that!"_

_"Yeah, now what do you say? Of course I'm not leaving this room until you say yes," Tidus said with an innocent smile._

_"Fine."_

_"Great! See you in the morning."_

The blonde laughed nervously. "Just don't beat me down like Roxas did," Tidus pleaded.

Sora jumped up from his chair. "Come on Kai-Kai, we have to get ready!" he cried grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the kitchen and up the staircases. Kairi let out a whine each time her head hit a stair. It was a very painful 'ride'.

Sora pushed Kairi into her room and then ran into his own. The door closed behind him. Kairi closed her door, and then fell to the ground. "Hurry up, Kai-Kai!" Sora exclaimed through her door. He was already done dressing and he had only been in his room for a second. Maybe having cake for breakfast was a bad idea, because now the brunette was as hyper as ever.

"But you-! Sora! Get out!" Kairi screamed only to see her door wasn't even open. She sighed happily and turned around to see him going through her drawers. Kairi was confused. She didn't even hear him come in. "Sora!" she shouted. She ran over to him, but he turned around and hit her with his arms knocking her on the ground again.

"Kai-Kai, why don't you wear this?" Sora asked,"Kai-Kai? Where'd you go?"

"I'm on the floor," Kairi grumbled.

Sora looked down and saw Kairi rubbing her head. "Oh sorry, but come on wear this!" Sora suggested with a grin. Kairi saw he was holding the wretched pink dress that Naminé and Olette forced her to get.

"No!" she cried. Kairi grabbed the dress away from Sora and glared at him. Sora only smiled. "What are you smiling about? Is there something funny because I'm not laughing! What- Ah!" she screamed.

Sora tackled her onto the ground. "You're going to wear the dress! And I'm going to force you!" Sora exclaimed cracking his knuckles.

"Or what!" Kairi retorted sticking her tongue out at the brunette. Sora chuckled and started to tickle Kairi relentlessly. Kairi started laughing hysterically. "N-No Sora s-s-stop! G-Get off of m-me!" she cried.

Sora smirked. "Then say you'll wear the dress!" he shouted back.

"I-I'll wear the d-dress!" Kairi cried as she tried to push Sora off of her. Tears were coming out of her eyes. Sora got up and dusted off his pants. Kairi pouted. "No fair," she grumbled.

"All is fair in…umm dressing stuff…yeah!" Sora said as he walked out of the room. He felt accomplished. "Hurry up and get dressed!" he commanded before closing the door. He leaned against the wall outside of Kairi's room. _'That was easy! Who knew Kai-Kai was so ticklish now I can use this against her in the future! If only I knew how to evil laugh that'd be great for right now,' _Sora thought with a sly smile.

"Sora."

_'Or if I have a theme song! That'd be better!'_

"Sora?"

_'Or maybe even a unicorn those things are so cool!'_

"Sora!"

Kairi hit him on his head causing him to snap out of his thoughts. She was regretfully wearing the pink dress Naminé and Olette had gotten her. "How do I look?" she asked unenthusiastically. She spun around so he could get a better look.

"You look great now let's go!" Sora exclaimed, he hadn't even bothered to look at Kairi. He once again dragged her down the hallway and the down the staircases. Kairi still whined with each step her head or any other part of her body hit. It was still as painful. She made a mental note to repay Sora. Sora ran into the entranceway, still dragging Kairi. "Okay, Tidus, let's go!" he exclaimed. Tidus laughed seeing Kairi on the ground.

"Shut up, Tidy-Widy," Kairi teased. Sora finally released her. She stood up and dusted off her dress. Tidus sighed; he didn't fancy his new nickname. "Can we just go already?" she asked.

Tidus nodded and opened the door. The three walked out closing the door behind them. Roxas and Naminé smirked watching the three leave. "Tidy-Widy is a good one," Roxas laughed, "I'll have to give Kairi her props when she gets home."

"Sora's so adorable," Naminé sighed, "But he's such a pig."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "You like him! He's so-so stupid! I'm much better than him!" Roxas exclaimed in outrage.

"But his stupidity is cute, and you're not. He's got those big cerulean eyes and spiky chocolate brown hair!" Naminé sighed dreamily.

"I have the same cerulean eyes! We could pass as twins except, I have dirty blonde spiky hair! Which is much better by the way!" Roxas shouted back.

Naminé giggled, "Someone's jealous of a certain brunette."

"I am not jealous! I just think I'm better looking than he is," Roxas said whispering the last part, "Now if you excuse me I have some X-games to watch since I missed them yesterday thanks to Tidy-Widy."

"C-Could I watch them with you?" Naminé asked with a slight stutter to her voice. Roxas raised an eyebrow. Why would Miss Neat freak want to watch the X-games with him? "I-I mean I just have nothing else to do and well it's on and everything," Naminé mumbled.

"Sure, Naminé," Roxas agreed.

* * *

Olette hadn't come out of her room because she was still writing her poem. She didn't know when she was going to finish it. She didn't know if she wanted it to be a happy poem or a depressing one. Olette was very indecisive.

She tapped her pencil on her head. "How about a dream?" she asked herself. She nodded and jotted it down on her paper. "A dream of what though…I wish I had some inspiration." She pouted and put her poem under her pillow again.

_'I wonder what everyone else is doing, I already know Sora, Kairi, and Tidus have left. I don't think Sora could keep a secret if he tried. That leaves Roxas, Riku, Naminé, and me in the house. I don't know maybe I should go find myself some breakfast that always helps me concentrate better. After all, Einstein said it was the most important meal of the day.'_

She closed her door and put on her jean shorts and an orange t-shirt. "I guess I could go see if anyone else wants breakfast since I'll be in the kitchen," Olette thought out loud.

* * *

Tidus, Kairi, and Sora walked around town. Yesterday they hadn't exactly gotten the best look so this time they decided they would be tourists instead of frantic shoppers. Yet, still they all had social problems. The three hadn't met anyone new yet. Everyone they passed by was still too busy staring at them. There were stares that Kairi didn't fancy.

"Hey Kai-Kai, Tidus! I'll race you guys to the pole," Sora challenged with a grin. Tidus smirked.

"You're on, what about you Kairi?" Tidus asked eyeing the auburn haired girl. She shook her head. "Aww, you party pooper!" Tidus whined. Kairi wasn't paying attention to Tidus, she was too busy looking at everything else.

Sora and Tidus ran towards the pole leaving Kairi behind. She didn't even notice. She continued to stare around the town. She spotted a boy across the street waving at her. She squinted to see who it was, but she could only see the person was blonde. As the figure approached she saw it was a boy, a boy with a _tail_?

"Hey," he said moving his blonde tress out of his face. "You're one of the new orphan girls who lives in that old mansion right?" he asked smoothly. Kairi nodded looking at her feet. "Oh cool, how come you're out here alone?" he asked.

Kairi looked up and opened her mouth to speak, but the boy put his arm around her. "I'll escort you back to your home if you want. And we could get to know each other on the way," he suggested with a sly smile. Kairi blushed; she was being womanized.

"I-It's okay, I'm here with some friends," she finally replied. She had to admit for a boy with a tail he had some game. _'He must call himself a ladies man, great now I'm attracted to a ladies man,' _she thought.

Sora squeezed himself between Kairi and the boy. "Hey Kai-Kai, is this boy messing with you because I can beat him up for you!" Sora exclaimed. He glared at the boy with his fierce, cerulean eyes. The boy only laughed and flicked Sora on his forehead causing poor Sora to fall over.

"So you're name is Kai-Kai?" the boy asked.

Kairi shook her head. "No I'm Kairi, Sora just insists on calling me that for some strange reason," Kairi replied. Tidus finally came back from the pole. Sora had beaten him by a long shot.

"Hey, who's this guy?" he asked. Tidus pointed at the newcomer with his right index finger. The boy wore a shocked look. "And…what the heck is wrong with him? He looks like he just saw a ghost," Tidus added as he continued to point.

The boy quickly ran over to Sora and lifted him off of the ground. "Sora!" he exclaimed pulling the brunette into a forceful hug. Kairi and Tidus looked at each other. Poor Sora was being squeezed to death.

_'Is this boy gay? Was I just attracted to a gay guy?'_ Kairi thought. She was so confused.

Sora struggled to get away. "Get off of me you sick-minded person!" Sora shouted struggling to get away. "I know…karate!" he lied loudly.

The boy pulled away and looked shocked. "You don't even remember your best friend do you?" he asked crossing his arms in indignation. "Some friend you are, Sora. Then again you always forgot a lot of things," he laughed.

"Wait…who are you?" Sora asked. His eyebrow was already raised.

He smiled. "Remember me? I'm Zidane!" he announced happily.

* * *

_A/N: Look Zidane has entered the story everyone cheer! Hee Hee, anyways Sora is really well he's really weird. Poor Kairi being tormented and forced to wear the pink dress that she loathes ever so much. Regardless, I don't think Sora likes Riku that much. And Roxas and Naminé what's up with them? They hate each other so much yet they are literally always together!_

_Leave a review please and I'll get back to you and love you forever! _


	10. Because of Zidane

_A/N: Wow I pretty have a hundred reviews and I'm not even to chapter ten or twenty yet this is a real shock to me and I'm dying from happiness. In a figurative way of course, because if I really was dying how would I be able to finish the story:_

_Zidane: I could write it for you!_

_Me:…Gee uhh thanks?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts of Final Fantasy IX_

* * *

Chapter Nine: Because of Zidane

Sora stood still; he had gotten very pale. Hearing the name 'Zidane' again brought back wonderful and terrible memories. Ones that he hadn't expected to think of.

_Sora sat on the steps of the orphanage with glue covering his spiky, brown locks. The other kids had decided they would make Sora a piece of art and Sora being as naïve as he was agreed. He now realized that they only wanted him to be shaved. His so-called friends were being very mean._

_"I wish I could get adopted and never ever have to come back here," Sora muttered as he wiped a few tears from his innocent eyes._

_"I would come back and seek revenge!"_

_Sora looked up and saw a blonde kid. He had blue eyes and he was wearing a white shirt with blue pants and brown sandals. "Who are you?" Sora asked in his high-pitched, un-matured voice. The other kids always told him he sounded like a girl._

_The boy smiled. "I'm Zidane, I saw what the other kids did to you so I decided I'd be your best friend!" Zidane exclaimed. He sat down next to Sora with his tail hanging away from Sora._

_Sora smiled. "Okay! And I'll be your best friend too!" he cried happily. _

_"Sorry that position is already taken, my best friend is Sora," Zidane replied slyly. _

_"Wow he has the same name as me!" Sora exclaimed in awe. _

_Zidane laughed, "Of course he does, he is you."_

_"Oh."_

Zidane laughed at Sora's reaction. "Just as I remember you, I guess you haven't sharpened your brain at all eh?" Zidane asked as he waved his hand in front of Sora's face. He was happy to see his best friend again.

"Here, allow me," Kairi said. She smirked and stomped on Sora's foot. Sora hollered as he jumped up and down trying to nurse his hurt foot. "Sora, aren't you going to say something to your friend?"Kairi asked in an almost naggy tone.

Sora smirked. "Why should I talk to him he left me at the orphanage," Sora replied turning away from Zidane. He was secretly laughing, but he wouldn't let Zidane know that.

"Still sore about that, huh? Isn't the important thing that you have a one-hundred year old home with pretty girls and new friends?" Zidane asked. Sora spun around on his heels, his entire face was red.

"What do you mean pretty girls?" Sora asked.

Kairi hit him. "Of course we're pretty…well maybe not Naminé," she snickered as she thought about Naminé.

Zidane laughed. "Well anyways, what brings you guys out to town? Seeing the sights? Because you know in a couple of hours the sun is going to set," Zidane stated as he examined the three.

Tidus shrugged. "Well actually we were just taking a walk while seeing the sights, what are you doing out here?" Tidus asked.

"Well I was actually just…well," Zidane mumbled as a blush started to form in his cheeks.

"You're stalking another girl aren't you?" Sora asked with a roll of his eyes. Zidane stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away. Sora knew he was right. "Man, will you ever cease? Ever since you were eleven you have been girl crazy! So who's the lucky girl this time?" Sora asked unenthusiastically.

Zidane pointed across the street to a petite, black haired girl. She was wearing a white sundress with matching white slippers. Her black hair fell to her waist and she had a black purse around her shoulder. Zidane sighed dreamily, "She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but she doesn't even know I exist."

Kairi smiled. "So what's her name, you do know that don't you?" she asked in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

"Her name is Garnet; you could say she's one of the most popular girls in the school. She's also rich she lives in the house down the street from your old, smelly mansion," Zidane replied.

"Would you stop dissing out house!" Sora exclaimed.

Tidus chuckled, "But he's right it does smell."

The remainder of the day was spent with Zidane. Kairi was shocked at how much Zidane and Sora were alike. If Sora and Zidane looked alike they could pass for twins. Tidus was just enjoying the company of the two boys; it was one of the first times he actually felt like a normal boy. Of course, he couldn't help but notice Kairi was feeling a little uneasy. She didn't get most of their jokes, because she wasn't a boy.

* * *

Naminé covered her ears as she heard yet another loud cheer from Roxas. He had been cheering ever since the games started. _'I think my ears are going to burst if he lets out another one of those killer wails. It's good that his team is winning and everything but still does he have to be so loud? I don't want to be death when I'm thirty!'_ she thought angrily. She was now regretting her decision to watch the X-games with Roxas.

Roxas looked at Naminé he frowned seeing her covering her ears. "What's wrong Naminé is the television too loud because I can turn it down if you want," Roxas suggested. He was trying to make her feel comfortable.

She smiled. "No, but you're a little too loud and since I'm sitting next to you and everything more ears are burning," she explained in the nicest was she could.

He sighed. "Okay then," he said turning off the television. "Since I won't ever be able to stop cheering how about we do something you want to do?" he suggeseted. Naminé was slightly shocked. She never knew a skater boy with an anger management problem could be so kind.

"Could I draw you?" she asked. Roxas blinked. That was a pretty random question. He was expecting Naminé to ask him to help her clean the living room or some other part of the house. Could she even draw well? But he asked what she wanted to do.

"Sure," he hesitantly replied.

"Okay, wait here!" Naminé ran out of the living room leaving a motionless Roxas.

_'I guess she's not so bad. After all, she did watch the X-games with me and no one ever does. I guess I should stop being mean to her,' _Roxas considered.

_"Nice house! But of course I was right it does smell."_

_"Shut up Zidane, I want to show you my room!"_

Roxas heard Sora and another boy run down the hallway. He heard a scream and something hit the floor. He jumped up and ran out of the living room to see Sora, some boy, and Naminé lying on the ground. He accidentally tripped over his own foot and fell into the pile. Riku fell down the stairs landing on top of Roxas and Sora who cried out in pain. Kairi snickered and ran up the stairs unaware of Olette who was running down the stairs. _Crash._

The two ran into each other and tumbled down the stairs and into the pile. Tidus pouted. "How come I can't be in this dog pile?" he whined. He smirked and jumped into the pile anyway, he didn't want to be left out. Kairi groaned feeling Tidus's large head hit her back.

Naminé let out a scream. "Get off of me! I'm going to be crushed!" she shouted. Sora's elbow was digging into her stomach. Zidane's foot was being pushed into Roxas's face. His fist was hitting Riku on the side of his head. Riku was on top of Olette whose squirming was hitting Sora's lower leg.

Tidus shrugged and stood up; he had his fun. He helped Kairi up. Riku stood up dusting himself off. Roxas and Olette stood up in unison causing Sora to fall completely on top of Naminé. Zidane stood up and started to laugh. "Well isn't this sweet?" Zidane joked.

Roxas growled pulling Sora off of Naminé and throwing him across the hall. The poor brunette smashed into the wall. "Are you all right, Naminé?" Roxas asked as he lifted her off of the ground. She nodded and picked up her sketchbook.

"I'm okay thanks for asking!" Sora shouted from down the hallway, "Roxas, you threw me again!" Kairi laughed as she heard Sora whine and ramble on about how rude it was to throw people across hallways.

Naminé giggled also. Roxas only frowned and crossed his arms. _'What's so great about Mr. Sora he's nothing special!'_ he thought angrily. "Roxas come on, just standing here won't get your picture done!" she exclaimed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway. They ran past Sora not even caring if he was hurt.

"Who's the idiot?" Riku asked Kairi as he stard at Zidane. He heard Sora laugh from down the hallway.

"See Zidane, I was right you are an idiot!" Sora shouted.

Zidane rolled his eyes. "I'm Zidane, Sora's childhood friend," he greeted. Sora finally walked down the hallway red blotches all over his face. "Now, Sora's going to show me his room," Zidane said. Sora started to drag the blonde up the stairs as he did Kairi earlier today.

Olette smiled. "Sora has the innocence of a little kid," she stated before walking down the hallway.

"Hey, wait up Olette!" Tidus called before chasing after her.

Riku and Kairi stood in the hallway. "Sora's annoying," Riku stated before crossing his arms. Kairi smiled. She had to admit Sora had his good and bad moments, but he's improved since she first met him. _'He isn't that annoying anymore,' _she thought with a smile.

_"Hey want to see Kai-Kai's room!"_

_"Sure!"_

Kairi growled. She shook her head. _'Never mind I take that last statement back!'_ she thought as she dashed up the stairs. Riku snickered and decided to follow for some pure entertainment.

Kairi ran into her room to see no one there. She cocked her head to the side. _'I could have sworn they said they would be in here.'_ She stepped into the room and started to look around for the two boys. She was unaware that Sora and Zidane were behind her standing against the wall.

_Slam_

Kairi spun around only to be tackled to the ground by Sora. She was about to scream when Sora covered her mouth, Sora put his finger over his mouth. Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Kairi, you have to be quiet so we can drag Riku in here," Sora whispered. Sora stood up pulling her up with him.

Kairi shook her head. "Don't do that to Riku, he'll only hate you both forever," Kairi pleaded.

Zidane sighed. "Fine we'll just tickle you to death," he replied cracking his knuckles. "Sora, you do the honors I better get home before the sun sets. See you tomorrow at school!" Zidane cried. Sora waved goodbye to Zidane as he exited the room. Riku stood in the doorway wondering what was going on.

Once Zidane was gone Sora tackled Kairi on the ground again. "Okay Kai-Kai, you ready?" he asked. Kairi growled and tried to push him off, but he was too strong for her.

"You know you have no respect for personal space," Kairi retorted sticking out her tongue.

"I'll take that as a yes then! Besides laughing is good for you Kai-Kai, maybe it will get you out of depression," he said. Sora once again started to tickle Kairi, who once again laughed as she tried to move Sora. Riku chuckled.

Kairi looked up. "R-Riku help!" she laughed trying to get away.

Riku shook his head. "No, this is something you have to deal with on your own," Riku replied. He waved and left the doorway. Kairi whined in her laughter as she struggled, she didn't plan on giving up anytime soon.

"Have you had enough, Kai-Kai?" Sora taunted with a little laugh. Kairi nodded still laughing hysterically. Sora smiled. "Fine." He ceased his tickling. As he was about to stand up Kairi did something that surprised the brunette boy. She pulled him into a hug.

Sora smiled and returned her hug. "Sora, thank you," she whispered holding onto his waist. Sora blushed wondering what he should do. Should he say 'you're welcome'? Should he lie down? Should he pull away? Kairi didn't notice his uneasiness.

"Umm y-your welcome," he replied. He sighed and reluctantly pulled away. "Well, I'm going to go to sleep now Kai-Kai see you in the morning," he said with a smile.

Kairi stood up and put her hands on her hips. "What about dinner? Isn't that the second most important meal of the day?" she asked wondering why he was acting strange. He seemed like the type of person to never miss a meal.

"I don't think I'm hungry anymore," Sora replied trying to hide his blush, "Bye!" He quickly retreated to his room and slammed the door shut leaving Kairi standing in the middle of her room in awe.

_A blonde couple set a little baby in a basket on the doorstep of an orphanage. The woman smiled and kissed the baby's head. She looked at her husband. "We're doing this because it's best for it," the woman said, her voice a little shaky. A few tears fell down her cheeks._

_The man nodded. "It would only die of starvation if it lived with us," the man replied kissing the baby as well. "Shouldn't you name it before we leave?" he suggested._

_The woman nodded. She pulled a small paper out of her pocket. She jotted a little note down on the paper and set it in the basket. She sniffled and slowly rang the doorbell. The couple quickly ran away from the orphanage leaving the crying child._

_A man came and answered the door. He looked down and saw the baby. "Huh? Where'd you come from?" he asked picking up the basket, "What a cute little baby, who would abandon this angel?"_

_He pulled the card out from the basket and started to read it. "We're sorry we couldn't be responsible parents to our lovely baby, we want a better life for it so we hope you can take care of her for us. Please take care of our baby named..."_

_

* * *

_

_A/N: And that's the end of the chapter. I wonder who the baby is? Well I already know but you don't : and that's the point of it all! Anyway thanks for all the reviews! I can't believe I'm going to hit a hundred this soon. It's such a surprise!_


	11. First Day Decisions

_A/N: Now for Chapter Ten. I'm so hungry luckily dinner is almost done, but enough for pointless chat :_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything about Kingdom Hearts of Final Fantasy IX_

* * *

Chapter Ten: First Day Decisions

Olette, Riku, Naminé, Kairi, Roxas, and Tidus were sitting at the kitchen table staring at each other. Their stomachs were growling and they all felt as if they would faint if they didn't eat something soon. Why weren't they eating? The reason they weren't eating was they didn't know what they could eat, and no one was volunteering to cook.

Kairi's stomach growled again. She groaned in pain as she tightly gripped her stomach. She couldn't stand the silence or the pain. "How about I just cook?" she suggested even though she already knew if she cooked it would end up as terrible as the beef stew.

"No!" the others shouted in unison.

"I'll cook," Riku muttered. Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Could someone as dark as him have enough heart to cook for five other starving people? Riku walked over the freezer and pulled it open. He pulled out six kid cuisine meals. Kairi chuckled.

_'Figures, Riku wouldn't cook something for us anyway. Well maybe Sora's kid cuisine obsession is a good thing? I wonder why he didn't want to eat…oh well I guess I can ask him later,' _she thought with a sly smile.

Dinner was cooked, and soon after devoured by the starving teenagers. Naminé once again cleaned the kitchen after the meal. She refused to let anyone else clean. Afterward, the teenagers climbed the staircases and went to their rooms to quickly fall asleep without any bickering, which was a first. They always bickered.

Sora was lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. _'I should probably go to sleep now, but I don't want too. Maybe I could count sheep! Oh, they could be red sheep that wear blue hats and like to drink ginger ale on Saturdays! They will be jumping over a brick wall because that's better than a fence!'_ Sora thought smiling.

"One sheep…two sheep…three…" Sora fell asleep on his third sheep. He was more tired than he thought he was.

The morning came way too fast for the teens. As they were deep in their sleep, dreaming their happy dreams, a disturbing, terrible sound interrupted them.

_Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong_

Zidane scratched his head; no one had answered the door yet. "Oh well," he muttered. He shrugged and let himself in. He heard nothing. He began to wonder if anyone was up and ready for school, which would start in a half hour. He climbed the staircase to the second floor and began to shout, "Wake up! School's going to start!"

Naminé's eyes shot open hearing the words 'school's about to start.' Being late wasn't her style. She jumped out of her bed and started to panic. She pulled her school uniform out of her closet and ran out of her room, down the hallway, and into the bathroom, knocking down Zidane in the process. Tidus, Riku, and Roxas poked their heads out of their rooms only to see a flash of Naminé before she took the bathroom hostage.

"Oh yeah, school!" Tidus exclaimed closing his door.

Roxas shrugged. "Oh well, I'm up now," he pouted as he slowly closed his door. Riku only sighed and closed his door. Zidane was once again alone in the hallway.

Zidane jumped up and climbed the staircase that led to the third floor. He shouted the same message and saw Sora come out of his room ready. "Wow, you're the first one that is actually ready!" Zidane exclaimed surprised; he was especially surprised because it was lazy Sora. Sora shrugged and moved out of the way as Olette and Kairi rushed into the bathroom holding their uniforms.

A few seconds later Olette and Kairi ran out of the bathroom ready for school. Zidane and Sora looked at each shocked that they could actually get ready that fast. Kairi smirked. "It's a girl thing," she replied, "Well, let's go!"

Downstairs Roxas sat outside his room glancing at Tidus and Riku every so often as they waited for Naminé. She was still in the bathroom taking her sweet time. _'I'll be she's trying to do something with that blonde hair of hers. Girls pay too much attention to their looks; they should be concentrated on skateboarding instead!'_ Roxas sighed.

"Roxas!" Sora shouted running over to the blonde. "Did you sleep well?" he asked curiously as he sat down next to him.

"Since when did you care?" Roxas asked as he eyed Sora. He was already agitated; it was too early in the morning to shout. Sora shrugged and put his hand behind his head.

Naminé ran out of the bathroom. "Okay," she mumbled. She looked around the hallway to see everyone ready for school already. She looked at her feet as she followed the others down the stairs and out of the house. She was ashamed for taking so long.

It was a quiet walk to school. They were all wondering what this new school would be like. Naminé had always been a popular girl so she wasn't that worried about this school; she was sure she would make friends quickly. Roxas just planned to show everyone his 'mad' skills. Sora just wanted to hang out with Kairi. Tidus would probably make friends with all the Blitzball fans; maybe join the team if the school had one. Kairi just wanted to make a good impression so maybe the entire school wouldn't hate her this time. Riku couldn't careless he just wanted to kill Xehanort.

They arrived at the school in a few minutes. Zidane jumped in front of the seven. "Okay, this is Traverse Town High now I have a few words of advice! Do not get on the bad side of the popular kids or they will destroy you! Okay, now let's go get your schedules!" Zidane said happily as he opened the doors to the school.

As they walked by people stared at them, they already knew who these seven were, but they wondered why they were following Zidane. Zidane wasn't exactly the most famous guy in the school; in fact many would call him a freak. And not just because of his tail. He was the lowest person in the school status.

Zidane opened the door to the counselor's office. Naminé poked her head inside and saw Xehanort sitting at his desk. He looked up and noticed the blonde looking inside. "Oh, come in, I have your schedules, have a great first day," Xehanort said with a smile.

Riku glared at the man and snatched up the stack of schedules before anyone else could. "We'll be going now," the fuming albino boy said before storming out of the office. Zidane blinked and closed the door. Riku passed out the schedules to their rightful owners. "I will see you all later," he muttered only waving goodbye to Kairi before he left.

Kairi looked down at her schedule still wondering what her classes were, but Sora snatched it from her before she had a chance to actually read the words. "Hey!" she exclaimed glaring at the spiky brunette. She wanted to be the first to study her new schedule.

"Okay Kai-Kai, you have English, Lunch, Home Room, Social Studies, P.E, and Dance with me!" Sora exclaimed happily, "Wow, we'll be seeing each other a lot!" He returned Kairi's schedule to her. Kairi sighed.

_'Well this is just peachy keen. Now I'll have to stare at his face all day, well pretty much all day. Don't I see enough of him at home? Oh well, I guess as long as Zidane and Sora aren't together,' _she thought. Kairi stared at the two boys secretly hoping that she would have no classes with the two of them. Their antics were enough at home.

"Dude, you have every class with me!" Zidane exclaimed giving Sora a high-five. Kairi fell on the ground and started to whine. It just wasn't fair. She heard snickers coming from the people that were passing by her. "Well, come on Kairi, we're going to be late for home room!" Zidane exclaimed. He grabbed the silently mourning girl and dragged her down the hallway with Sora at his side.

Kairi heard the whispers from the other students. Except unlike she thought, they were actually good whispers. Surprise, surprise.

_"Poor girl she's already been a victim of the Zidane."_

_"We should ask her to sit with us at lunch, then we can spare her."_

_"Hey man did you see that hot thing that just got dragged down the hallway."_

_"Yeah she was gorgeous! I'm definitely asking her to the dance."_

_"I wonder if she likes Blitzball."_

_"Maybe she'll have my English class?"_

Kairi couldn't help but smile and blush. Maybe this school wouldn't be so bad? The people here seemed so friendly. Or maybe she was letting them deceive her like at her last school. Regardless, she planned to monitor them. She would make her final decision about the school later.

Homeroom was normal. Jocks sat with jocks, cheerleaders sat with cheerleaders, nerds sat with nerds, and so on. She sat down next to Sora and Zidane. She watched as they talked amongst each other; she supposed Zidane and Sora still had a bunch to catch up on. She glanced around the room studying her surroundings. There was a green chalkboard at the very front that was guarded by a teacher's desk. The teacher was not present; this surprised Kairi. The rest of the room was just blank wall space; that didn't surprise her. Her study came to an end when her eyes fell upon a familiar face. It was Selphie Tillmit, the girl from yesterday. Selphie jumped up from her seat and ran over to Kairi; she quickly sat on the other side of her.

"Hello Kairi!" Selphie greeted giggling sweetly, "Can I see your schedule?" Kairi nodded and handed the giggly brunette her schedule. She was pleased to hear someone ask her permission. Selphie scanned it and started giggling more. "You have all you're classes with me! Isn't that great?" she asked enthusiastically.

Kairi laughed nervously. She wasn't so sure she should be happy about that. An entire day spent with this bag of giggles. That didn't exactly sound great to her. "Yeah," she lied scratching her head. Now she heard even more conversations.

_"Twice in a day? Poor girl now we have to save her from The Tillmit and The Zidane!"_

_"Trust me we can do it."_

_"She's so hot when she's trying to get away from nerds."_

_"Shut up man, she could hear you!"_

_"I still wonder if she likes Blitzball."_

_"I like proper grammar."_

The rest of the day went smoothly, all of her teachers were nice. Now it came to lunch. She planned on just eating with Sora, Zidane, and Selphie since they were the only ones she'd talked to the entire morning.

"Kairi, right?"

Kairi turned around to see two girls one with periwinkle hair and red eyes the other a brunette with a green eye and a blue eye. She thought these girls were strange, but it was nice to see a new face. She'd been staring at the back of Sora's head the entire day. Kairi nodded shyly. She wondered why they were talking to her.

"We were wondering if you'd eat lunch with us, we'd love to have your company," the brunette explained. Kairi quickly nodded, but someone grabbed her hand. She looked back and it was none other than Sora.

"Kai-Kai, I thought you were going to eat lunch with us," Sora whined. He gave Kairi the puppy dog pout.

Kairi snatched her hand away. "Sora, I need to meet new people," she replied. Sora frowned but nodded. He knew he had to respect Kairi's space; at least, he had to at school.

The two girls grabbed Kairi and pulled her away from Sora. They glared at Zidane and Selphie as they did; Kairi didn't see that. Sora looked at the two and scratched his head. "What's with the sad faces?" he asked.

"You remember those mean girls I was telling you about?" Zidane asked. Sora nodded recalling all the bad tales he told. It had been an interesting morning. "Well, that was two of them Yuna and Fuu," Zidane continued.

"Fuu!" Sora exclaimed in outrage. He remembered the girl from his orphanage. Zidane nodded sadly. Sora growled. He thought he had seen the last of her. All those cruel things she did to him in the orphanage were things he would never forget or forgive.

"Let's just hope she doesn't become one of them," Selphie said her voice a little sad.

* * *

The three girls got their food and sat down. Kairi was still in amazement that someone was actually inviting her to eat lunch with them. This wasn't what usually happened to her. She was usually the kid who had gum stuck in her hair by other kids. She was also the kid that sat alone at lunch. This was not normal. "Oh, Kairi sit by me!" the brunette exclaimed happily. She motioned for Kairi to sit next to her. Kairi nodded and sat down. She noticed that there was the brunette, a gray haired girl, the red-eyed girl, and the girl that Zidane pointed out yesterday. She thought it was an interesting group of people.

"Hello," Garnet said before taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"This is Kairi, the new girl," the red-eyed girl introduced. Kairi waved shyly.

The brunette smiled. "Okay, I'm Yuna," she greeted.

"I'm Paine," the gray haired girl said. An interesting name to go with an interesting face.

"Garnet."

"And I'm Fuu."

Kairi smiled weakly. "It's nice to meet you all," Kairi said. She couldn't help but stare.

Yuna looked back at the table where Sora, Zidane, and Selphie were sitting. They had just been joined by Tidus. Yuna let out a small squeal. "He's so adorable!" she cried happily. She stared at him with love-struck eyes.

"Who?" Fuu asked as she scanned the table, "You're not talking about the brunette are you?" She glared at the back of Sora's head.

Yuna shook her head. "No, the new blonde boy, he's in my chemistry class. He's so adorable I think I'll ask him to the welcome back dance," Yuna replied. She sighed dreamily.

Garnet shrugged and continued to eat her sandwich. "I suppose he is handsome. You've always had great taste in men," Garnet complimented. Kairi couldn't help but notice a small sadness in her voice.

"So you like Tidus? Oh, he's my friend maybe I could hook you two up," Kairi offered. She watched hesitantly as Yuna's delight oozed out of her. Kairi couldn't help but regret making that offer.

"Would you really do that for me?" Yuna exclaimed. Kairi nodded only to receive a small hug from Yuna. "You're the best!" she cried graciously.

Paine rolled her eyes. "Yuna, you have some competition, look back," Paine instructed. Yuna did as she was told and saw Selphie flirting with Tidus. Yuna growled. Kairi could sense that there was going to be a 'fight' over Tidus.

"She better keep her dirty little hands away from him," Yuna stated as she turned away from the table. Kairi still looked back wondering if Selphie did have a thing for Tidus. She didn't want anyone to be hurt. Sora noticed her and waved. Kairi smiled and waved back before turning around.

"Are you friends with that brunette too?" Fuu asked. Kairi couldn't help but notice Fuu kept asking about Sora. She seemed a little demanding.

Kairi nodded. "His name is Sora," she corrected. She could've sworn she heard her mutter 'I knew it' under her breath. She shrugged it off though; what were mutters between friends? "He won't leave me alone and insists on calling me Kai-Kai," Kairi added in an annoying tone.

"He must be definite loser material then," Garnet stated as she glanced over the table, "You should tell him the truth if you don't like his company."

_'I couldn't do that to Sora he's been so nice to me. Well in a sense anyway. Oh well, it's their opinion and I can't change that now can I? But other than calling Sora a loser they seem like nice people,' _Kairi thought as she watched her new acquaintances.

"Aren't you so glad we rescued you from those losers?" Fuu asked. Kairi paused for a minute. She wouldn't exactly call them losers. "If you hang out with them your reputation will crumble."

"With the exception of Tidus, you can hang out with him he's cool," Yuna added. Kairi nodded still wondering why and how her friends became losers. She planned on asking later.

"Have you seen that new sophomore? He's the hottest guy I've ever seen," Paine said. It was Paine's turn to sigh dreamily.

"Oh you mean Riku! Yeah he's adorable," Yuna replied imagining his silver tress and aquamarine eyes. "Paine you should ask him to the welcome back dance," Yuna suggested. Kairi giggled at the thought. Everyone stared at her.

Kairi shook her head. "I doubt Riku's interested in girls he's another friend of mine. He's a total emo and hardly lets out his emotions. But I might be able to persuade him for you," Kairi explained.

"Wow, she's a miracle worker," Fuu joked laughing a bit.

"She's a total popular girl in the making, hey Kairi, you should come shopping with us this afternoon. We could buy you a whole new wardrobe. You could just say we come from the rich part of the population," Garnet said.

"I'd love too," Kairi replied with a smile.

"Great!"

* * *

Sora grumbled watching as Kairi had fun with her new mean girl friends. _'What's so great about them I bet I'm much more fun! Then again, she probably needs some female friends…but she has Olette, Selphie, and Naminé for that! And she's talking to the evil Fuu! Maybe she doesn't like boys who tickle her till she gets bruises?' _Sora thought as he had a mental conversation with himself.

"Sora!" Zidane shouted into Sora's ear. Sora jumped up making Selphie burst into another giggle fit. "That's better, so now that I have your attention which lucky girl are you going to ask to the welcome back dance?" Sora shrugged, "Come you were eyeing Alice in English."

"No I wasn't!" Sora exclaimed,"I guess I'll ask her anyways though."

Selphie giggled. "Alice is a nice girl I'm sure she'd say yes to you," Selphie said happily.

After lunch the four girls gave Kairi their phone numbers, e-mail's, and addresses. Kairi was happy that she had made friends with the right group, or so she thought. Soon enough the last bell rang and school was out. Kairi met up with her 'family' outside and they walked home together talking about how the school day was.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: The first day of school hooray! Next chapter will be what happened to Roxas, Naminé, Riku and Olette on the first day of school! I figured I'd cover them in a different chapter so I can cram in more detail!_


	12. The Other View

_A/N: Now remember Chapter Eleven if Roxas, Naminé, Olette, and Riku's first day since I didn't cover them Chapter Ten. It's just a small reminder for those who might have been a little absent-minded. Lol, I know I am._

* * *

Chapter Eleven: The Other View

"Let's see what Ms. Prissy has," Roxas said before snatching Naminé's schedule away. She growled; she hadn't even gotten a chance to look at. She also didn't even like the fact that Roxas had called her Ms. Prissy. "Great, I have to see you in gym shorts, I'm going to die!" Roxas cried in agony.

Olette looked over Roxas's shoulder curiously. "Naminé, we have homeroom and Biology together!" Olette exclaimed. She was delighted to have classes with someone she knew.

"And what do I have with you other than P.E., Roxas?" Naminé asked. She wanted to know why Roxas was still staring at her schedule in shock.

"We have P.E., Social Studies, Art, Lunch, Biology, English, and Home Economics," Roxas sighed, "That's pretty much a whole day of you. Man, why is karma being so evil to me today?" Naminé punched him playfully.

"Shut up and go to class," she instructed.

"Yes sir!" Roxas teased. He heard Naminé growl again as she was being pulled away by Olette. Olette was trying to avoid another fight between the two. It was terrible to make a bad impression on your first day of school. It's not that Olette was a goody-two-shoes, she just hated to be thought of as a bad person.

* * *

Riku sat in the back seat in his homeroom class. He wanted to be far away from all human-contact. If all of these people were like Xehanort he wouldn't want to talk to them anyway.

"Excuse me you're sitting in my seat."

Riku turned around to face a girl with black hair and a dark eye color that he couldn't pinpoint. "I don't see your name on it," Riku retorted; he ignored her. He couldn't help but think she was strange; after all, she was wearing purple lipstick. He thought she was a typical goth girl. He didn't have time to deal with her.

"You picked the wrong girl to mess with, you'll regret this greatly," the girl said, "Remember my name, Lulu."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Whatever Lulu. Remember my name Riku, the boy who doesn't give a care about who you are or what you say. I only have one goal and that's to pass high school so I'll never have to deal with it ever again. Got a problem? Deal with it!" Riku seethed. Lulu growled and walked away. Riku smirked successfully.

His first actual class was Algebra II. He was actually good at math, but regardless he hated doing it. And now thanks to the people in the class he would hate it forever. The teacher, of course, had given them a simple worksheet to do so Riku got to work when he heard;

_"Hey sexy, what do you say about going to the welcome back dance with me?"_

Riku looked up to see the source of the hideous voice. He saw a gray-haired girl. "I'd never go with a girl like you, or any at all," Riku stated coldly. He heard the girl chuckle. He was slightly surprised. "What's so funny?" he dared to ask.

She growled playfully. "I'm Paine, the girl who will be your future girlfriend," she said with a wink. She turned away from him. Riku glared at the back of her head, but he was interrupted by the surge of squeals around him.

_"Did you hear that, he's still single!"_

_"He's a total hottie!"_

_"I could just eat him."_

_"He's such a tiger, ouch."_

Riku cringed; he didn't like these girls one bit. In fact, if he didn't have common sense he would have strangled them all, but he would keep his cool. For now.

* * *

Olette sat in her creative writing class busily working on the assignment the teacher had given her. She was told to write a short story about anything. She had always enjoyed writing short stories; it was one of her favorite things to do. But poetry would always be number one in her heart.

"Hey, I know you."

She turned around to see the blonde boy from the furniture store. She blushed and waved. "Oh hello, your name was Hayner, right?" Olette asked quietly. She didn't want to bother her other classmates who were busily writing their stories. Unlike what Olette thought, the other students were actually just having a paper ball fight.

"Yeah and you're the lucky girl, Olette, it's nice to see you again," Hayner said smoothly. Olette blushed at hearing herself referred to as the 'lucky girl'. "Anyway, what are you writing about? You looked so into your writing."

Olette smiled. She was never nervous when she was talking about her passion. "Oh, I'm writing about a girl who finds herself in a strange new place," Olette replied, "Her personality is very timid and she finally meets her first friend-." She was interrupted.

Hayner chuckled; he placed his fingers on Olette's lips to silence her. Her blush deepened. "I didn't want a summary," he joked as he removed his finger, "But you seem to like this writing stuff, I just chose this elective for the hot girls." Olette frowned.

"You should have gone to Home Economics for that," she replied rudely.

"Hey, don't get me wrong writing is great, I just prefer sports over this any day," Hayner stated with a sigh.

Olette smiled. That was something she could understand. She knew everyone wouldn't have a passion for writing. "What kind of sports do you play?" she asked.

"Well, I play Blitzball and Football," Hayner replied, "And some occasional hockey. But now onto more important matters, I was wondering would you like to eat lunch with me and my friend Pence?"

"Sure."

* * *

Naminé walked out of the girls' locker room; she was grumbling to herself. She tugged at the end of her shorts trying to stretch them out. "These things could pass for lingerie, why did they make them so short?" she asked herself as she entered the gym. She looked down at the floor and let out a shriek. This was worse than the shorts. She could see dirty footprints everywhere, who knew how long they had been there. "It's so dirty!" she exclaimed. Naminé jumped and screamed about how nasty the floor was.

On the other side of the gym Roxas rolled his eyes. "That's Naminé, the girl I was telling you about," Roxas said as he laughed at Namine. His new companions did the same. They were both sophomores; their names were Leon and Cloud.

"She is obsessed with cleanliness," Leon chuckled as he watched Naminé squirm.

"Hey, Naminé! Over here!" Roxas shouted loud enough so that she could hear. Naminé rolled her eyes and walked over to the blonde boy and his new friends.

"What do you want, Roxas?" she hissed. She couldn't help but notice he looked kind of attractive in his gym outfit. It brought out the tiny muscles he had. If she hadn't hated him so much he would have blown her away.

Roxas couldn't help but stare at her shorts and her shirt. They revealed every curve in her body. He felt a little perverted for staring at her, but she looked gorgeous. Especially with that angry glare she was giving him. It made her seem feisty. "I just wanted you to meet Leon and Cloud, they're sophomores," Roxas finally said.

"Nice to meet you," Naminé said with a smile, "You're better than Roxas, I presume? It's okay he needs friends. I'm glad you were nice enough to befriend this irritable boy." Leon and Cloud chuckled as they watched Roxas's anger grow.

"Naminé!" Roxas shouted, "I am not irritable!" Naminé rolled her eyes. "I am not!" he protested.

"Whatever you say, Roxas, but I'll be going now," she said before walking away from the three boys. She wanted to find friends of her own, somehow. She walked to a corner and sat down. The school day wasn't as eventful as she hoped it would be. She hadn't met anyone new. Then again, it's not like Roxas had given her a chance alone.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right?"

She looked up and saw a blonde girl and a black haired girl staring down at her. Naminé nodded and extended her hand. "My name is Naminé," she greeted happily. _'Finally! New faces!' _she thought happily.

"I'm Rikku and this is Yuffie," the blonde introduced. She had green eyes and was wearing the same, revealing gym outfit. Yuffie's eyes were purple and were strangely brought out by the standard black of the uniform. "We're so glad to have met you!" Rikku cried.

"Yeah, you should eat lunch with us and our other friends, we may be in the popular crowd but we're the only nice group," Yuffie explained. She grabbed Naminé's arm and lifted her from the ground. "Come the gym awaits!" she cried happily.

The remainder of gym class was spent with the two girls. Naminé had resumed her spot as a popular girl, but a nice, popular girl. She hadn't noticed Roxas staring at her from afar, which was a good thing. If she did she probably would have slapped him.

Lunch came quickly and Naminé was pulled into the cafeteria. Before she knew it she had her food and was seated at a table with two new faces. "Okay," Rikku said, "This is Tifa and Aerith."

Naminé waved. "Hi, I'm Naminé," she said introducing herself. After the introductions the real girl talk began. She was surprised that they actually seemed like her old friends at her old school.

"Have you seen the new boy Sora, he has the most adorable cerulean eyes I have ever seen!" Yuffie squealed as she pointed toward where Sora was seated. "But he's not my type I think I'm looking for an older man," she said with a dreamy sigh. It was as if she already had one in mind.

Tifa laughed. "Well you won't find any men in this school," she replied. Yuffie smacked her. "What? It's the truth!" she cried.

Aerith giggled and sighed dreamily as she stared at Sora. Rikku squealed. "I think Aerith has a little crush on Mr. Smiles. He might like you too, you know he looked like he was checking you out in English," Rikku added with a sly smile. Aerith blushed.

"Oh, let's give Naminé the advice," Tifa said changing the subject. She knew Aerith didn't like to have so much attention focused on her. The girls nodded and turned their attention to the oblivious Naminé.

"Okay, you see those girls over there at that table, that's Yuna, Garnet, Paine, and Fuu they are the mean, popular girls in this school," Yuffie explained as she pointed to their table, "Do not make a friendship with them because they will betray you."

"Hey Yuffie, looks like Yuna might be checking out one of the boy's at Sora's table," Rikku stated as she watched the scene. Aerith gasped quietly; she didn't want any unfriendly competition for Sora.

Tifa chuckled. "Do you see Selphie? She's all over Tidus!" Tifa chucked at Selphie's flirting tactics. "I think he's actually flirting back too," she added in surprise. The four girls high-fived each other. Selphie needed a new boyfriend after her terrible breakup with Ivrine.

"Hey, the mean girls have a new recruit!" Aerith exclaimed. The attention quickly switched back to Yuna's table.

"Kairi?" Naminé mumbled in confusion.

All eyes turned to her. "You know her?" they all asked in unison.

Naminé nodded. "She's one of my roommates," she replied.

* * *

Olette, Hayner, and Pence were eating lunch. It had been quiet ever since Olette sat down. The brunette girl couldn't help but feel a little awkward about being surrounded by guys. She was usually with female friends. So this was a first for her. "So, do you like chess?" Pence asked; Hayner was quick to whack him.

"Don't start with the nerdy stuff Pence," Hayner said narrowing his eyes. Making a good impression on Olette was very important to him. "We don't want to make a bad impression on Olette now do we?" he asked. Pence shook his head.

"It's all right, I do play chess when I feel like it," Olette replied.

"Well then it's not nerdy!" Hayner exclaimed; he quickly corrected himself.

"But you always said nerds only-." Pence earned himself another whack from Hayner. "Ow!" he cried.

"Zip it!" Hayner shouted. Olette giggled. Maybe being surrounded by guys like them wasn't so bad after all. She had to admit they were entertaining, and she had a small crush on Hayner. She couldn't help but smile and blush whenever he talked to her. She felt as if she could fly; she now had more words for her poem.

* * *

Riku grumbled and took a large bite out of his sandwich. He was in a bad mood. Every single girl had squealed and hit on him. He despised this school. He couldn't wait until his graduation, and then he could escape this torture. He heard another whistle and turned to face another one of his 'fan girls'. He growled and glared at the girl. She only winked and blew him a kiss. _'Calm down Riku, don't become a slave to your anger. Remember how nothing good comes out of that. Let's just remember what Kairi said, she'll have a lot to hear this afternoon,' _he thought with closed eyes.

The school day soon came to an end, and the seven met outside the school doors. Riku was, of course, ticked off. Naminé and Kairi were extremely happy. Sora was pouting. Tidus was complaining about the homework. Olette was blushing; she was still thinking about Hayner. Roxas was talking to random people who walked by. It had been a very eventful first day.

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_A/N: And there you have it. Roxas, Naminé, Riku, and Olette's day, next chapter we'll continue on with the story. So leave a review so I can get back to you! Man I love saying that, I must have problems…_


	13. Effects of Shopping

_A/N: Okay now on with the story! Oh my gosh it's so late at night I think I'm going to fall asleep in mid-sentence. That would be so sad and depressing! I will get the chapter up!_

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Chapter Twelve: Effects of Shopping

Sora walked beside Kairi making sure to glance at her every so often. She looked so happy, and that made him sad. She was never that happy around him. Now he despised those girls, they were deceiving Kairi. He couldn't just watch her be hurt.

"Kai-Kai, did you have fun with those witches…I-I mean wonderful girls?" Sora asked; he hoped Kairi hadn't heard his insult. Kairi looked at him funny. She had heard Sora call her new friends witches and she didn't exactly like that.

"Sora, they aren't witches, and yes I did have fun," Kairi grumbled. She avoided eye contact with the upset brunette. Sora rolled his cerulean eyes.

_'If only she knew. Why did Selphie make me swear I wouldn't tell her?'_ he thought angrily.

The seven arrived at the house. Kairi opened the door first and let everyone in. After everyone had stepped inside she closed the door and started to walk to her room so she could get ready for her afternoon of shopping. She was surprised she even wanted to go shopping, it wasn't her thing.

She closed the door to her room and grabbed a black tank top and a beige skirt. She started to change. First, she quickly stripped her uniform and tossed it to the side. She slid on her beige skirt. She was in the middle of pulling her tank top over her head when someone barged into her room.

"Sora!" she shrieked. A blush instantly formed on her face as she tried to cover her exposed skin. Sora turned a deep red from seeing Kairi in only a skirt and a bra. "Stop gawking and get out!" she shouted angrily. Sora nodded and quickly closed the door. His face was still a shade of crimson and that image was one he wouldn't forget anytime soon. He placed his hand over his heart and felt it beating rapidly.

Kairi popped her head out of her room. "Sora, what did you want?" she asked as sweetly as she possibly could; she was trying her best not to be mean. Her face was still completely red.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for calling your new friends witches," Sora said as he stared at the floor. Kairi smiled and walked out of her room.

"Well, how do I look Sora?" she asked. It was her attempt to change the subject.

Sora looked at her and couldn't help but smile. Kairi always wore black and she always wore the same black vans for shoes. _'Her shirt is black, that's clever it's the same color as her bra!' _he thought. His face turned a darker shade of crimson.

_Say she looks sexy!_

"You look…great," Sora replied before hitting his head to get the thought out of his mind. He grinned at Kairi. "Where are you going anyway? Is it another outing with Tidus? And if it is, can I come along?" Sora requested eagerly. He wanted to hang out with her so badly.

Kairi shook her head. "No, I'm going shopping with the girls," Kairi replied, "I'll buy you something if you want." Sora shook his head and frowned. He stormed down the hallway and down the stairs. Kairi shrugged and slowly began to follow him, but not too closely. Sora was frightening when he was angry.

_Ding Dong_

Naminé opened the door to see Yuna, Paine, Garnet, and Fuu on the other side. She recognized them as the girls Rikku, Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith had told her about. They were the mean, popular girls. "What brings you here?" Naminé asked as politely as she could. She thought it would be a bad idea to get on their bad side.

"We're here for Kairi," Paine retorted. Riku happened to walk by in the hallway that led to the entrance hallway. Paine growled sexually with a hungry look in her eye. Riku eyed her with the coldest stare he had ever given anyone before he continued his step.

"Oh okay, I'll-." A hissing sound interrupted Naminé's answer. The five girls frantically looked around for the source.

Yuna let out a small squeak; the sinister sound scared her. "What is that?" Yuna cried. The hissing sound continued to echo throughout the mansion. Naminé was just as scared. She turned around and heard it again. It was definitely coming from the hallway. She had just cleaned that hallway last night before dinner; she wondered how anything could be there already. It didn't make sense.

"I don't know!" Naminé exclaimed scared. She grabbed the broom that happened to be beside her and cautiously approached the hallway. She heard the hissing sound again and was startled. This only increased her fear factor. She quickly entered the hallway and started beating the source of the hissing sound. She didn't bother to look and see what she was beating; her eyes were tightly closed in fear.

"Beat it good!" Fuu exclaimed as she and her companions watched from afar. Naminé ceased her hitting and gasped. She had just beat down poor Sora.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Sora!" Naminé cried apologetically.

Sora regained his stance and rubbed his head. He walked into the entrance hallway and glared at the girls. He hissed again making them yelp. Sora sounded so much like a snake. "Kairi's mine leave her alone," Sora threatened before 'slithering' back into the other hallway. _Smack._

The girls heard Sora groan in pain and say something about Kairi. They also heard Kairi's voice speaking to Sora in an angry tone. The girls looked at each other with questionable glances. Kairi ran into the entrance hallway, finally.

"I'm sorry, Sora's just a little weird like that," Kairi laughed nervously, "Bye, don't wait up okay?" Naminé and Sora nodded as they watched Kairi close the door. Sora let out a heavy sigh.

"I won't be eating dinner tonight," he muttered, "I'll be sulking in my room if you need me." Naminé nodded; her blue eyes were filled with compassion. She watched as the miserable brunette climbed the staircase.

_'Poor Sora, I hope Kairi returns soon. I'll have to tell her about Sora's behavior. She might be the only one who can cheer him up right now,' _Naminé thought sadly.

* * *

"Sora is strange," Garnet stated, "He actually managed to sound exactly like a serpent." Kairi laughed nervously. What was she supposed to say? Sora had never acted that way; he was usually so happy and hyperactive. His cerulean eyes were always gleaming in such a cute way. Wait cute?

_'No, I did not just describe Sora's eyes as cute. I must have just been thinking too hard. Nothing about Sora is cute. That's just a strange thought. It was never thought about, nope never!' _Kairi mentally denied.

"Kairi?"

Kairi blinked and met face to face with Paine. She chuckled nervously. She was doing that quite a bit. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something," she replied. Paine nodded and moved away giving Kairi her personal space back.

"Here we are at the mall, let's hit the stores!" Yuna exclaimed as she pushed one of the several glass doors open. The five girls scurried inside. Kairi smiled and took in a deep breath, the last time she was here it smelled like wet paint, but now it smelled like perfume. Maybe it was her clothes? She didn't know and it didn't really matter.

The five girls had fun shopping and chatting about boys and other girl things. Kairi had found out that the welcome back dance was this Friday, and that it was mandatory to have a date if you wanted to be considered popular. Of course, the date had to be one of the popular guys or someone good looking. She never knew there were so many rules that came with popularity. Kairi began to wonder if being popular was what she wanted. She didn't like having to behave in a certain manner. She also really hadn't noticed any of the boys at her school. The entire school day she was either talking to Selphie or Sora. Kairi was so deep in her thoughts she hadn't realized that Fuu was paying for all the clothes that they had just bought.

"Here Kairi, now you can look hot and maybe a boy will ask you to the dance. Don't worry these are accessories that will make your uniform stand out along with your hair. You know, if you did something with that auburn mop you could look like a goddess!" Yuna exclaimed before handing Kairi a shopping bag.

Kairi touched her auburn hair. She looked at a couple of locks in her the jewelry stand mirror. She hadn't realized how dull looking her hair was. Before she could object Garnet had shoved some shampoos, moisturizers, and conditioners into her bag. She was shocked how much Garnet had added. Did she really need all these things?

"There, use these tonight and your hair will be so soft and colorful. You won't be able to believe it used to look the way it did," Garnet stated. Kairi noticed there was always a slight sadness behind her voice. She wasn't going to say anything, though. Garnet's business was Garnet's business.

Before the day had ended Kairi had been given many new things, and the best part was she didn't have to pay for anything. Maybe these four girls actually wanted to help her be the envy of every female in school and the desire of every male. Perhaps they were good people?

"We'll see you tomorrow at school, Kairi," Paine said before turning around and walking away. The other girls waved and left Kairi standing on her doorstep with bags full of new things.

Kairi smiled and opened the front door. She noticed all the lights were off. Kairi shrugged. _'I guess they're all asleep already,' _Kairithought as she closed the door behind her.

_Click._ Kairi turned around and saw a small lamp had been turned on. The computer chair had been brought downstairs and put in the entrance hallway. It spun around to reveal Sora with his arms crossed.

"Hey, Sora," Kairi greeted with a small wave.

"Where have you been? It's already nine o'clock," Sora stated before standing up and walking over to Kairi. "I didn't think it took so long to go shopping with wit-I mean friends," Sora added agitatedly. Kairi shrugged making Sora frown. "I've been waiting all day for you to come home," he whined.

"I said don't wait up," Kairi replied in a matter of fact tone.

"Kai-Kai…" he mumbled sadly.

"What is it, Sora?"

"Do you really like hanging out with those four better than hanging out with Selphie, Tidus, and I?" Sora asked. Kairi looked shocked. She didn't realize that Sora missed her company so much; he seemed almost jealous. Kairi smiled and pulled the brunette into a hug.

"Sora, how could you think that? You three are my closest friends, I could never replace you," Kairi replied tenderly. Sora blushed, but was unable to return her hug because of her various shopping bags. Kairi released him and smiled. "You didn't eat dinner, did you?" she asked teasingly.

He shook his head. "I was waiting for you to come home," he replied grabbing her hand, "But I did cook some so you can eat it, come on!" Sora pulled Kairi down the hallway and into the kitchen. He sat Kairi in a chair at the table and quickly scurried to the microwave. His mood had done an 180 degree flip. He pulled two plates out of the microwave and slammed it shut. He gave one to Kairi and kept one for himself.

Kairi smiled. "You made chicken salad," she said, but her smile quickly turned to a frown. Just saying those two words brought back sad memories for her.

"Kai-Kai, what's wrong?" Sora asked worriedly.

"I-It's nothing, I'm just not hungry," she replied before standing up. Sora stood up and followed Kairi out of the kitchen, up the staircases, down the hall, and into her room. He was a persistent fellow.

"Kai-Kai, can't you just tell me?" Sora begged desperately.

She shook her head. "I don't think I'm ready to talk about it," she replied as she carelessly dropped her shopping bags onto the floor. Sora saw the tears welling up in her amethyst eyes. It nearly broke his heart to see her so miserable.

He smiled sadly. "Okay, I'll wait for when you're ready. Good night, Kai-Kai," Sora replied sadly. He waved goodbye and walked out of the room quietly closing her door behind him. Kairi smiled. She had such an understanding friend. She fell back onto her bed and started to stare at the ceiling.

_You could look like a goddess!_

Slowly her eyes drooped to a close and she fell asleep only to wake up a couple of hours later from her nightmares. She sat up and wiped some tears off of her cheeks. Kairi didn't want to ever dream that again. She stood up and walked over to her shopping bags. "I have nothing else to do," Kairi mumbled as she pulled out the shampoos, moisturizers and conditioners Garnet had given her. She grabbed her towel and nightgown and walked into the bathroom silently locking the door behind her.

* * *

Tidus let out a yawn. He was happily cozy in his bed, but something had been shaking him for the last few minutes. He moaned and turned over. He heard an angry squeak and before he knew it he was on the floor. "Okay, I'm up!" he cried as he rubbed his injured head. Someone burst into a giggle fit. He looked up and met with a pair of big, emerald eyes. He would know that pair of eyes anywhere. Tidus glared playfully making the girl giggle more. "Selphie, that's not exactly what I call waking someone up," Tidus stated as he lifted himself to his feet.

"Well, you kept talking in your sleep begging for more minutes," Selphie replied, "So I just pushed you out of bed. Hurry up and get dressed Sora's downstairs making pancakes." With that said Selphie left the room and headed downstairs to help if she possibly could.

Tidus grumpily got dressed and went into the bathroom. He left the door open as he brushed his teeth. He bent down to spit out his toothpaste and saw someone in his peripheral vision. He spit out the toothpaste and looked up to lock eyes with Kairi. His jaw dropped at the sight. Kairi giggled and ran her fingers through her perfectly straight, shiny, auburn hair. "How'd you become so beautiful?" Tidus asked but Kairi covered his mouth.

"I don't want anyone to know yet," she replied, "So don't say anything until I take off my hat downstairs at breakfast, okay?" Tidus nodded and watched as Kairi covered up her beautiful auburn locks with an ugly blue cap. He also noticed her complexion was better and looked smoother. What had she done to herself? She could pass for a goddess!

He looked down at her feet noticing she was wearing black shoes with two-inch thick heels and she had on stockings that matched her light tan skin. Her uniform sleeves had been rolled up and the last button on her shirt had been left unbuttoned. Tidus couldn't help but gawk; she had made the awful uniform look like a something a professional model would wear.

Tidus and Kairi walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Everyone was already there eating Sora's delicious pancakes. Kairi noticed that Selphie and Zidane had already arrived. Sora grinned seeing Kairi in the doorway he couldn't help but notice she looked different and it wasn't just because she was wearing a cap.

"Kai-Kai, Tidus, you guys can just take from the pancakes on the large plate over there!" Sora exclaimed with a mouth full of food. Tidus and Kairi did as they were told and served themselves. Kairi motioned for Sora to scoot over. Sora grinned and shared his chair with Kairi. The orphans hadn't thought to buy extra dining chairs for guests.

"Good morning, Kairi," Riku greeted as he stared at her, "Why are you wearing a cap on your head? Are you having a bad hair day? And why are you wearing heels...and stockings?" He gave her a quizzical look.

Kairi smiled and shook her head. She took off her cap revealing her beautiful, auburn locks. Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at Kairi. Sora could've sworn there was a white, glowing aura surrounding her. She looked like a goddess; she had smooth skin, dazzling hair, and her uniform had been done over. She'd never looked better.

"K-Kai-Kai," Sora stuttered; he was unable to take his eyes off of her. Kairi smiled making Sora want to melt. "How'd you…when did you?" he stumbled. Kairi put her finger on his mouth. He blinked and continued to stare in awe.

"I just did a couple of things to my look," Kairi replied proudly. She wanted to bask in her glory moment, but all the attention was killing her. She didn't expect everyone to stare at her like there was no tomorrow. She blushed and looked down at the floor.

Selphie squealed. "You have to tell me the products you used!" she squealed breaking the silence. Kairi nodded and made a mental note to tell Selphie later. She wasn't going to tell her over breakfast. It didn't seem appropriate.

The nine were soon on their way to school. On their walk every boy they happened to pass by hit on Kairi. Sora, of course, hissed at them all scaring them all away. Kairi only laughed. Sora was so childish, but he was only being a good friend.

They arrived at school in a matter of time. Riku was kind enough to hold the door open as the other eight walked inside; it was surprising. The rest of the day went like the day before. Kairi ate lunch with the mean girls while Sora watched from afar filled with jealously.

Today during English class their teacher would be returning from his summer vacation. His name was Mr. Mickey. Kairi and Sora had already heard some rumors about the man; they heard that he was a mouse. But that was impossible mice couldn't speak, could they?

Mr. Mickey entered the room. Sora and Kairi gasped. Mr. Mickey was indeed a mouse. "You have a tail! And two perfectly round ears!" Sora blurted out, but quickly covered his mouth afterwards.

The mouse chuckled. "You must be one of the orphans," Mickey said, "Don't worry I'm not that tough of a teacher." Everyone started to laugh at Sora. Sora blushed and covered his face. Kairi smiled at him and patted his back trying to console him. This explained the beast P.E. teacher and the duck for a French teacher.

Mickey assigned independent study and started to read his book. There wasn't much he could teach without a lesson plan. Sora uncovered his face and grinned at Kairi. "So Kai-Kai, are you going to accept any of those boys who asked you to the welcome back dance?" he asked curiously.

Kairi shrugged. "I don't know, I don't exactly know all those boys too well," she explained.

Sora grinned. That was just the answer he had hoped for. "Well Kai-Kai, I was wondering if you want-." The pencil that rolled under his feet interrupted him. "Huh?" he mumbled. He picked up the bright pink pencil and started to study it. He knew it wasn't Kairi's by the color.

"Could I have that back?"

Sora turned around to see Aerith staring at him expectantly. She had such a gentle voice he hardly heard it. "Oh, sure," he said handing Aerith her pencil. He noticed the blush on her face.

"Thank you, Sora," she breathed happily.

"No problem!" he exclaimed. He turned back around to finish his conversation with Kairi, but Aerith stopped him. She tapped on his shoulder. "What is it?" he asked in an almost aggravated way. He wanted to talk to Kairi.

She blushed and looked at the floor. "I was wondering if you would want to go to the welcome back dance with me," she replied nervously as she twiddled her index fingers.

"He'll answer in a minute," Kairi said noticing Sora had a dumbfounded look on his face. She grabbed him and pulled him over to her. She grabbed his ear and started to whisper something. Aerith only looked at the brunette boy hopefully. She saw him making faces as Kairi spoke to him.

Sora returned to his seat with a blank look on his face. "Sure, I'll go with you," Sora agreed; he didn't make eye contact with her. Aerith smiled.

"You can pick me up at seven, here's my address," Aerith said before handing him a piece of paper with her address and phone number on it. Sora nodded and stuffed it in his back pocket. Aerith turned around to tell Rikku the good news while Sora just stared at his red pencil. He didn't want to go to the dance with Aerith. He wanted to go with Kairi, but she insisted that he accept Aerith.

_This might be your only chance to get a date, Sora! Accept it!_

Her words kept repeating over and over in his head, until his thoughts were interrupted by a piece of folded paper that was tossed onto the surface of his desk. He looked up and saw Zidane waving at him from his desk in the second row. Sora nodded and started to unfold the paper. He opened it fully and read the note.

_You are so lucky man! You scored one of the cutest girls in school; she's also popular too. But you already know that. Man, but I can't stop looking at Kairi. She's a total babe. Anyways, I'm taking that girl Jasmine to the dance. I'm lucky that Aladdin hasn't come back from his vacation!_

Sora sighed and tucked the note in his binder. Why did he agree?

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_A/N: Okay there's the update! It took me awhile to work on but it was worth writing. Now to go eat the wonderful dinner that my mom has prepared, I hope it tastes good! Anyway you know what's coming._

_Write a review so I can get back to you! I should get jingling bells._


	14. Dates and Catastrophe

_A/N: The author is hungry. Regardless it's morning so I should start this chapter! Okay so you know like prepare your eyes for words. Lol._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts_

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Chapter Thirteen: Dates and Catastrophe

In Art class, the teacher, Captain Jack Sparrow, (He insisted on being called captain for unknown reasons.) had told them all to draw a picture of your seating buddy. Of course, his version sounded more like 'Draw a picture of the lass or lad beside ye.' His accent was weird, but no one seemed to mind. Naminé was sitting next to Roxas; they were seating buddies.

"Okay Roxas, can you face me so I can sketch you down real quick?" Naminé asked. Roxas nodded and turned around to face Naminé. She smiled and started to draw on the piece of parchment the captain had passed out. Once Naminé was done Roxas did the same for her.

Roxas was slightly ashamed of his picture. He had always been a terrible artist; he only joined this class to fill an elective. His drawing of Naminé looked more like a dying monkey. "Here Naminé, it's you," Roxas said before clamping his eyes shut and shoving the picture in her direction. He was expecting to be slapped because it was so ugly, but instead he heard her giggling? He opened his cerulean eyes to see Naminé trying to hold in her giggles. She wasn't even looking at his picture; she was flirting with some boy sitting in front of her. He recognized the boy as the blonde boy from the furniture shop.

"Oh Seifer, you're so funny," Naminé giggled. Roxas glared at the boy. He made a mental note to confront this so-called Seifer after school. He was Naminé's seating buddy so he deserved her attention, not Seifer.

_'I'll bet Seifer can't do cool skateboard tricks! I'll bet Seifer can't annoy Naminé out of existence! I'm so much better than him. So what if he has muscles…and pearly white teeth. I hate him!' _Roxas mentally spat. He continued to glare at Seifer.

Roxas smirked noticing that this Seifer was going to ask Naminé to the welcome back dance. He could tell because Seifer was talking about it so expectantly. It was time to teach him what happened to those who messed with him. "Naminé!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Yes, Roxas?" she replied staring at the blonde boy. She wondered why he was so loud when she was right next to him.

Roxas grabbed her hand forcing an unwanted blush out of her. "I was wondering if you would go to the welcome back dance with me, you see, I really like you Naminé," Roxas admitted as a small blush crept on his face. He could admit his feelings if it meant he would also smite someone else in the process.

Naminé smiled and hugged Roxas. "I'd love too," she replied happily. As Naminé buried her head in his shirt Roxas looked at Seifer with a pompous look in his eye. Seifer glared at him. He only smirked and stroked Naminé's honey-colored hair. Success.

* * *

Olette sighed as she stared out the window in her Spanish Class. Her teachers Ms. Merryweather, Ms. Fauna, and Ms. Flora had just started arguing with each other in spanish. So Olette just decided to daydream, she couldn't understand them anyway. She doubted she ever would.

Her head rested on her desk as she stared at the large oak tree that was in front of the window on the opposite side. She began to wonder how long it took the tree to grow. A paper ball hit her head knocking her out of her thoughts. She sat up and opened the paper wad to find a small note.

_Isn't this boring?_

She looked around and saw Hayner sitting beside her. She'd never noticed he was in her Spanish class. He was so close she wondered how she had missed him. Olette smiled and nodded her head. Hayner grinned and leaned on his desk.

"So, you agree you want to do something fun?" Hayner asked as he gently took the paper from Olette's hand.

"Sure," she answered with a small smile.

"Well, then would you like to go the welcome back dance with me?" Hayner asked smoothly.

Olette blushed. "I-I uhh well," Olette stuttered as she desperately tried to regain her composure. She hadn't been expecting Hayner to ask her to the dance. She hadn't expected to get asked at all. "Of course!" she blurted out quickly. She covered her mouth in embarrassment. She began to mentally beat herself to a pulp for sounding so eager.

"Great then I'll pick you up at six?" Hayner asked with a sly grin on his face. Olette could only nod.

* * *

Kairi and Sora watched their teacher Mr. Goofy show them the steps to the waltz. Sora was still shocked that a dog was teaching them how to waltz. How come he was the only one that found this strange? "Okay fellers, are you ready to try?" Goofy asked. Everyone shouted 'yes'. "Okay pick yer partners and I'll start that there music box," he instructed.

"May I have this dance?"

Kairi turned around and saw a tall boy standing there with his hand reaching toward her. He had piercing blue eyes and long, spiky, red hair. Kairi smiled and nodded. Sora stomped his foot on the ground as the two walked onto the dance floor. He looked around and grabbed Aerith before running onto the dance floor. He had to monitor this boy; he didn't like the way he looked. His face had makeup on it, he had to be a bad apple.

"So what's your name?" Kairi asked as she began to dance with the mysterious boy. She thought he was handsome and the mystery added a little something to her interest. It was the first boy she'd managed to actually meet.

"Axel," he replied smoothly.

"Axel? Oh, you're a sophomore right? I'm Kairi," she said. Axel smiled making Kairi blush. "What is it?" she asked as she looked down at the ground to where their feet were stepping. She didn't fancy his gaze. It was slightly scaring her, even though his eyes were gorgeous.

"I was just wondering if a beautiful girl like you would consider going to dance with me, so how about it?" Axel asked as he spun her around.

Kairi giggled. She now faced him. "You sound like every other boy who's asked me to the dance," she laughed. Then she remembered what the other girls had said. She had to go with someone that was popular. "You know what, I accept," she concluded with a smile. She knew the girls would be pleased.

Axel smirked. "That's great I'll pick you up at seven," he stated. Kairi smiled and nodded.

From afar Sora growled silently as he glared holes into the back of the red-haired boy's head. Why couldn't he be lucky like Axel? He spun Aerith around and accidentally let go of her hand. The poor brunette girl fell on the floor.

Sora jumped in surprise. "I'm so sorry!" Sora exclaimed as he quickly bent down to help her up. Aerith giggled and dusted her plaid skirt off.

"It's all right Sora. I just hope you'll be a better dancer Friday," she giggled.

* * *

Riku tapped his fingers on his desk; he was impatiently waiting for class to end. He couldn't stand the sexy comments from Paine any longer. Finally the bell rung, Riku grabbed his things and darted out of the room praying that Paine didn't follow.

"Hey."

Riku growled and turned around to face the annoying girl. "What do you want?" he grumbled. Paine smirked.

"I want you to go to the dance with me, silly," Paine teased making Riku want to slap her across her face. "Will you?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he replied coldly before turning away from her. School was over so he shouldn't have to deal with this torture anymore. He began to walk away.

"Well fine, it looks like Kairi will just have an accident," Paine concluded in a matter of fact tone.

Riku stopped in his tracks. He quickly spun around to face her again. "What do you mean accident?" he asked narrowing his aqua eyes. He heard Paine chuckle.

"If you don't want her harmed I suggest you say yes," Paine replied, "Unless you don't care, then we could stage her little accident tomorrow."

"Fine," Riku reluctantly agreed. Paine smiled as she stuffed a paper with her address and phone number into his back pocket. She managed to slap his butt in the process. Riku glared at her and grabbed her arm. "Don't touch me," he hissed. Paine rolled her eyes and blew him a kiss before yanking her arm away and leaving.

* * *

Tidus slammed his locker shut and let out a yelp seeing a strange brunette girl standing there. He'd never seen her before in his entire two days of high school. "Who are you?" he asked curiously as he stared at the strange, new face. She had a green eye and a blue eye and a blue hair clip in her short brown hair.

"My name is Yuna."

Tidus scratched his head. "So…Yuna what's up?" he asked. He thought there must be an explanation as to why she was staring at him with lovestruck eyes.

Yuna smiled. "I was wondering if you would go to the welcome back dance with me. I know it's bold and everything because you don't know me. But I've always thought you were cute, you could say I am a secret admirer," Yuna said in a flirtatious voice.

"I'm sorry," Tidus chuckled as he gave Yuna a light pat on the head. A frown formed on her face. "I'm already going with Selphie, maybe next time," he said. Yuna watched as Tidus walked away. She looked at the ground. Yuna had never been rejected before, and it was even more insulting because she was rejected for a nerdy girl. What was so great about Selphie?

Yuna let out a sigh and turned around to meet Rikku and Yuffie. She rolled her eyes. "What is it now?" she asked in an annoyed tone. She didn't feel like dealing with the likes of them.

"You better not do anything to Selphie, you hear!" Yuffie exclaimed, "You stole her last boyfriend so you better not do it this time or some bad things are going to happen to you."

"Yeah! And you didn't even like Ivrine!" Rikku added putting her hands on her hips.

Yuna smirked. "It doesn't matter, this time I actually like Tidus. He's so perfect and nothing will stop me from getting him. Especially not two hags like you. Besides this time I have the perfect bait," she laughed happily.

"Bait?" the two girls asked in unison.

As if on cue, Kairi walked down the hallway. Yuna waved to Kairi as she passed by and Kairi returned the favor. Yuna waited till Kairi was out of hearing range. "If Kairi is the friend she claims to be I can force Tidus to go out with me," Yuna replied. Rikku and Yuffie gasped. "Well, see you girls!" she laughed. Yuna turned around and walked down the hallway giggling.

Rikku and Yuffie looked at each other. They nodded to each other as if they were having a mental conversation. They quickly ran down the hallway in the opposite direction. They had to tell Tifa and Aerith about what Yuna had just told them. Somehow they had to save Kairi.

* * *

Kairi sat on her bed writing things down in a small, black book. As she wrote she found herself singing a song.

_I still remember the world  
From the eyes of a child  
Slowly those feelings  
Were clouded by what I know now_

_Where has my heart gone  
An uneven trade for the real world  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_

Kairi let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't help feeling emptier than before. She had friends, beautiful hair, a good complexion, and a nice boy who was willing to take her to the dance. But why couldn't she say she was happy? Because she wasn't happy, she was more miserable than before.

"Kai-Kai, dinner!" Sora shouted right into her ear. Kairi screamed and fell off of her bed and onto Sora. Sora fell over and landed on his back holding Kairi in his arms. Sora blushed and laughed nervously. "Umm, it's dinner time?" he chuckled nervously.

Kairi giggled and rolled off of Sora. "I'm sorry, you startled me," she replied as she helped him to his feet. Sora grinned. "So what did you make this time?" she asked.

"I made nothing, some person bought pizza for us," Sora replied, "But they colored hearts all over the box in bright yellow and orange crayons." Kairi chuckled. She knew who sent the pizza.

"Selphie must have decided to buy us pizza tonight," Kairi replied as she left the room and skipped down the hall. Sora blinked; he had never seen Kairi so happy. Was she happy because she was with him? Or was it because of that Axel guy? He decided that it was Axel, Kairi would never be happy because of him. Sora let out a sigh and followed Kairi down the stairs.

The group quietly ate their pizza thinking about the day at school. Riku looked irritated, Naminé and Roxas were blushing, Tidus seemed to be spaced out, Olette had a dreamy look on her face, and Kairi and Sora just looked miserable. Riku finally let out an angry growl. Everyone jumped.

"Whoever is playing footsies with me stop!" he shouted angrily. Roxas blushed.

"But I thought…sorry," Roxas muttered as he tried to hide his face. Riku rolled his eyes and stood up. He lifted Naminé from her chair and slammed her into his.

"Have fun," he grumbled. Naminé blushed shyly giving Roxas a small, timid wave. Riku looked at Kairi and noticed her misery. "So much for talking," he grunted.

Kairi looked up and put on a fake smile. "Well, we're all just enjoying our pizza you can't expect us to talk with our mouths full," she laughed. Riku rolled his eyes and smirked. It was the closet he would ever get to a smile, now anyway. How was he supposed to tell Kairi that her friend threatened to hurt her unless he went to the dance with her? He huffed and crammed more pizza into his mouth.

"Puffs throng piff wat?" Sora asked, because his mouth was full no one could understand what he said. As Sora spoke a little of his chewed food fell onto the table. Naminé squeaked pointing to the crumb of chewed food on the table.

"That's so disgusting!" she exclaimed; she covered her eyes so she couldn't have to look at the horrid sight. "Sora! Clean it up!" she cried as she threw napkins in his direction. Sora yelped as napkins flew all over his pizza.

"Naminé!" he shouted as he stared at his napkin covered pizza, "You put napkins all over my pizza." Naminé uncovered her eyes and rolled them.

"Well you shouldn't have made a mess," she replied.

Sora growled and continued to stare at his pizza. No one messed with his food. He banged his fist on the table making Naminé jump. Everyone else backed away from the table in fear of what Sora would do. Sora smirked and walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a perfectly clean plate. He would get his revenge.

"You wouldn't!" Naminé exclaimed as she dashed over to the brunette.

"Yes, I would," Sora laughed.

The blonde girl squeaked again as she hopelessly watched Sora place the clean plate near his face. "Don't!" she cried falling to her knees, "Please! Anything but that!"

"You should have thought of this before you threw napkins all over my pizza," Sora answered agitatedly. Naminé watched in horror as Sora put his saliva all over the clean plate.

"No!" she cried covering her face with her small hands.

Sora shook his head and placed the plate in the sink. He walked over to the pizza box to grab a new slice of pizza. Roxas growled. He was fed up with Sora. No one made Naminé cry in despair. He ran toward Sora and seized his collar. Sora yelped. "Don't hurt me!" he cried closing his eyes tightly.

"No, that would be a waste of my time," Roxas replied before throwing Sora to the ground. Roxas grabbed a slice of pizza.

"You wouldn't!" Sora cried.

"Oh, but I would," Roxas chuckled evilly.

Sora shrieked as Roxas threw the slice of pizza on the floor. "Don't!" Sora cried as he dramatically reached out to save the slice of pizza. Roxas jumped onto the slice of pizza and started to stomp all over it regardless of Sora's pleas and cries.

"No!" Sora cried as he covered his face, "Not my pizza!"

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Poor Sora getting his pizza squished. Lol. Interesting how everything is happening isn't it? Anyway review so I can get back to you!_


	15. Dance Drama

_A/N: Sorry for the delay folks! I got whisked away in the wonder of reading others fan-fiction yesterday. In other words I got really lazy and decided to read instead of write. What? I can read too can't I?_

_Roxas and Riku: No_

_Me: No one asked you_

_Riku: You never specified whom you were asking_

_Me: Shut up Riku_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything else in this story besides the tweaked plot of course._

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Dance Drama

Roxas crossed his arms and smirked at Sora pompously. "Now you know not to mess with Naminé!" he exclaimed with pride. She looked up and ran over to him. He opened his arms thinking he would get a 'thank you' or something appreciative. Instead, he got a stinging slap on his face. "Hey! I just avenged your plate!" he cried.

"That I am thankful for, but you just made the floor completely dirty with pizza mess!" Naminé shouted angrily. Roxas laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't even considered the mess he had made. "So now you're going to clean ever last speck of it, with my supervision," she added with a nod of her head.

"Aww man," Roxas whined.

Kairi laughed and helped the mourning Sora to his feet. "Come on, Sora," she cooed. He uncovered his face and looked at the squished pizza on the floor.

"You were my best friend," he cried dramatically. Kairi rolled her eyes and pulled Sora out of the kitchen. Seeing that the show was over everyone threw their plates in the sink and left Roxas and Naminé to clean the kitchen.

The rest of the week went smoothly for Kairi. Yuna, Garnet, Fuu, and Paine had agreed to let her hang out with them. She was so happy she had more friends that she could trust. She was still completely unaware that they were using her for personal needs; Kairi was oblivious. But as the days passed the girls started to rethink that. They found out Kairi was actually a cool person to hang out with. They were even thinking about making her a permanent member.

Olette had a wonderful week as well. Hayner, Pence, and herself were getting along fairly well. Who knew a jock, a photographer, and a poet could get along. She had made two new friends. As the week progressed Olette couldn't help but see the cold stares many of the other girls were giving her. Hayner simply told Olette it was his fan club. She was shocked Hayner had a fan club, but didn't say anything about it. Obviously, many people adored Hayner. And to Olette's misfortune they were all very jealous that she was the lucky girl that got to go with him to the dance.

Naminé's week consisted of constant bickering between Seifer and Roxas. She'd never noticed how much they hated each other. Seifer kept asking her to be his girl while Roxas kept defending her and telling him to back off. Naminé could only sigh and watch as they fought between and in every class. It was tiring.

Sora's week was miserable. Kairi had stopped hanging out with Selphie, Zidane, and himself. In every class Kairi was hanging out with one or more of the witches. He was beginning to worry she was becoming a witch herself. At home Kairi ignored him and went to her room. They barely spoke. He noticed she was wearing the pink dress more as well.

Riku was fed up. Every single day he attempted to warn Kairi, but everyday Paine caught him and threatened him. Of course, he wasn't scared for himself, such a low life girl did not intimidate him. He only worried about what they would do to Kairi. The only up side of this week was he had finally gotten a job. He now worked at Dillmart for eight dollars an hour. Yet, he wasn't so sure that eight dollars an hour would actually help him pay bills. It was unfortunate no one else in the house was old enough to work yet.

Tidus had a wonderful week aside from the constant Yuna visits. He had heard from Selphie that Yuna had been especially mean to her in the past so he tried to avoid the girl. That was easier said than done. Whenever he was near Selphie, Yuna would just pop out of nowhere and interrupt them. It was annoying, but Tidus was sure he could handle anything this girl could dish out.

Roxa's week was tough. He hardly understood any of the classes he was taking. He was already failing in math. He didn't know you could even fail on your first week. Mr. Genie was a tough teacher. Not the mention the on and off fights with Seifer every day. Sure he'd admit it, he was a slacker. But he didn't realize his procrastination was that bad. He needed tutoring, but he was too prideful to seek out some.

Soon enough it was Friday the day of the welcome back dance. Kairi was in her room preparing for Axel's arrival. She was wearing a lavender tank top under a white blouse with a matching lavender mini skirt. The girls insisted that she wear this because it was her color. She personally thought she looked like a living Barbie doll, but she didn't tell them that. She thought it might grow on her if she kept staring at it long enough. So far the plan wasn't working.

"Kai-Kai, can I come in?"

"Come on in, Sora," Kairi said as she struggled to put on her shoes. They were strapped, heeled sandals that Fuu had bought for her. She hated them to death, but the girls insisted that she color coordinate for Axel. Apparently color coordination was sexy. She would've preferred her vans.

Sora's jaw dropped when he saw what Kairi was wearing. "Kai-Kai! When did you go girly girl!" he exclaimed as he closed and opened his eyes repeatedly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Surely, this was some kind of twisted dream.

Kairi sighed. "I know Sora, it's just that they insisted that I wear this because it looks good on me, does it? I guess I need a boy's opinion," Kairi requested. She did a small spin so Sora could see the entire look. She nearly tripped over herself in the process because of the heels.

Sora blushed. "Well umm, I think you look gorgeous," Sora replied rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure that Axe guy of yours will love your outfit," he added solemnly. He desperately wished he was taking Kairi to the dance and not Aerith.

"His name is Axel, and I'm not even sure I like him. I hardly even know the guy. I'd rather be going with someone else. Someone I know better," Kairi answered.

"Who!" Sora blurted out almost too eagerly.

She shrugged. "No one in particular, I just wish it was someone else."

"Oh."

Downstairs outside Roxas's room, Naminé was waiting for Roxas to come out of his room. She was wearing a strapped blue dress she had bought the first day they went shopping. She also had a white cardigan to match and her usual white sandals. She felt she was dressed appropriately for the evening. She made sure there was no lint or anything. She looked spic and span. She knocked on Roxas's door. "Roxas, what are you doing in there?" she asked impatiently.

Roxas was staring at himself in the mirror. He wasn't so sure he looked nice. This was the first time he was wearing what he called the 'ultimate' skater outfit. He was wearing a zipped black shirt that had a small ninja star zipper that covered his neck. This was under an unzipped white jacket that had black zigzag lines across his chest and on the seam of his sleeves. The white jacket had a red collar that resembled something of a hood. His pants were black till they reached the middle of his thighs. Then the rest of his pants were white. The white fabric had been connected to the black fabric. He had his usual skater shoes except with red shoelaces. He thought red was a classy color.

"Okay, I'm coming Naminé!" Roxas called before opening the door to reveal his ultimate outfit. Naminé smiled. She had to admit it he looked great. His outfit suited him.

"You look awesome," Naminé complimented before slipping her hand into his. Roxas blushed as he stared at their linked hands. "Aren't you going to compliment me?" Naminé asked.

"Well, what can I say Naminé? I don't want to sound cliché."

"Okay, say Naminé, you look like a goddess!"

"Naminé…you look like a goddess." Naminé smiled and the two walked down the stairs together.

* * *

Selphie smiled as she fixed Tidus's collar; it was a little crooked. He was wearing a dressy, blue shirt with black slacks. "You look adorable, Tidus!" Selphie squealed before lightly tapping the point of his nose. "I'm so lucky to be able to go with you too. I'll bet I'm the luckiest girl in the school!" she cried excitedly.

Tidus blushed. "I don't think I'm that famous. But you look great too, Selphie. I'll bet all the guys will be so envious of me," Tidus added with a smile. Selphie was wearing a yellow sundress with matching yellow sandals. She really liked bright colors.

"Not me."

The two spun around to see Axel standing in the doorway. "Hey, don't you knock?" Tidus asked rudely. He didn't like when people barged into houses that didn't belong to them. Unless they were family friends like Selphie and Zidane.

Axel rolled his eyes. "So where is my hot date, eh?" he asked, "I want to see how sizzling she looks in a mini skirt."

Kairi cleared her throat. Axel was startled by Kairi's sudden appearance. "I don't appreciate that," Kairi muttered crossing her arms and sending him a glare, "If you're just using me I'll kill you." Axel laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Aren't we…feisty this…night," he mumbled awkwardly.

Sora came up to Axel and poked him in his chest. Axel frowned and glared down at Sora; he was taller. "You better not do anything to hurt her, I'll be watching you," Sora growled as he continued to poke at Axel's chest. Aerith ran over to Sora and pulled him away. She didn't want Sora to be hurt.

"He is very sorry," Aerith apologized for Sora. Axel sighed and shook his head. "Please forgive him he won't do it again, he's just very protective of his best friend. He only wants the best for her, and plus he doesn't really know you. So he's feeling very suspicious right now. I'm sure if you make a good impression he won't do it again," Aerith blabbered nervously.

"Fine," Axel agreed. He just wanted Aerith to be quiet. He slyly wrapped his arm around Kairi's waist; he grinned from the contact. Kairi had a slim waist. "Come on Kairi, let's go dance. You know I'm a very good dancer," he bragged smoothly. Kairi rolled her eyes. She didn't fancy boys who bragged.

They all walked to the dance together after Riku reluctantly picked up Paine. They entered the school gym to see blue and green decorations all over the place. They were hanging from the walls; they were draped over tables and centerpieces. Even the gym floor had been contaminated with the blue and green fever. There was a snack bar in the far right corner of the gym and a DJ at the far left corner. The chaperones for this dance were Goofy, Donald, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Hercules.

Sora looked at Aerith who was scanning the crowd. "Hey Aerith, I'm really sorry if you don't have a good time because of me," Sora apologized, "My mind has been somewhere else for the past few days so I'm apologizing ahead of time."

Aerith smiled. "It's okay Sora. I understand. You like Kairi. So go to her before she gets taken," she replied sadly. She wasn't stupid; she didn't want to inconvenience Sora with her feelings either. Sora grinned and ran into the crowd to go find Kairi. Aerith watched sadly as he left. Why did every guy have to run off with some other girl?

* * *

After dancing a couple of dances with Naminé, Roxas had gotten tired and thirsty. "Hey Naminé, let's go get some punch," Roxas suggested. She agreed and the two walked over to the punch bowl were Captain Jack Sparrow was standing looking bored. He didn't seem to enjoy dances.

Roxas poured punch into two cups. He handed one to Naminé and kept his own. He took a sip. "Hey, this is pretty good," Roxas said before taking more sips. Naminé agreed and started to drink her own.

Captain Jack Sparrow smiled. "I'm glad ye like my booze punch," he said watching the two teens drink. Their eyes widened and they spit the drink out of their mouths spraying it all over his face. The captain was taken aback.

"You spiked the punch!" they exclaimed in unison. Jack quickly covered both of their mouths. He looked around to see if anyone of authority had heard their exclamation. When he felt the coast was clear he released their mouths.

"Aye lad and lass I'll give ye hundreds in my class for the entire quarter if you don't tell anyone about this," Jack bribed. The two nodded and slowly began to walk away. "Now go have on I don't want to speak of this again," he called after them.

* * *

A slow song played. Olette nervously played with her fingers. She had always gotten nervous at dances. Of course, that was mostly because she had always gone alone. Sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else dance and enjoy themselves was heart-wrenching for her. Now that she had a date she was feeling the same way. She looked at Hayner nervously as he positioned his hands on her waist. For some reason she couldn't help but feel he had timed this. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him nervously.

"You've never slow danced, eh?" Hayner asked; he couldn't help but notice her uneasiness. She was practically choking him. She nodded and blushed in embarrassment. "Wow, no boy has ever asked little Miss Poetry to dance; I find that quite shocking," Hayner joked.

"Hayner," Olette muttered, "You don't have to rub it in."

Hayner laughed. "Why would I rub it in? I'm going to enjoy this as much as you are. Most girls around here aren't as pretty as you Miss Poetry," he honestly explained. Olette blushed and looked away. "Well, I guess I'll have to teach you. First, you have to get closer to me," Hayner instructed. Olette did as she was told and pressed her body against his. "And now just follow my lead," he chirped happily.

Olette was shocked at her dancing; she didn't know she could catch on so fast. She hadn't stepped on his foot at all. She smiled and began to lose herself in the song. Soon enough, she had her head rested on his shoulder. Olette could've sworn she heard his fan girls muttering curses under their breath.

"See you aren't bad at all," Hayner whispered delicately.

"Thank you," Olette breathed happily. She was on cloud nine.

* * *

Zidane wasn't even paying attention to Alice. The two were seated at one of the blue and green tables to the side of the dance floor. Zidane was slouched in his chair and Alice was leaned over toward him. Alice had been talking to him for the last hour and all he was doing was staring at the beautiful Garnet as she danced with another random suitor. He sighed and held his head.

"Are you listening to me, Zidane?" Alice asked as she waved her hand in front of Zidane's face.

"Oh, uhh yeah continue," Zidane shakily answered. He knew it was rude to not listen to a lady, but he couldn't help himself. Garnet was so beautiful in her shimmering white gown. She looked like an angel from above.

"Okay, and so, Cinderella was all, Alice you-."

Zidane let out another quiet sigh. _'How can I make her notice me?' _he thought sadly.

* * *

Riku grumbled to himself as he leaned against the wall. Ever since he had picked Paine up she had been staring at him with such adoring eyes; it was sickening. "What's wrong with you?" he grumbled. He didn't even bother to look at her while he spoke.

"Come on, let's dance Riku," Paine insisted as she pulled the reluctant boy onto the dance floor. He definitely did not want to slow dance with Paine, but he had to do it to protect Kairi. He grabbed Paine's waist and she wrapped her arms around him. The two started to slow dance; Paine never took her eyes off of him.

He was staring at the ceiling refusing to lock eyes with her. He detested their red glow. Riku couldn't wait till this night was over. Paine stomped on Riku's foot making him wince in pain. "What!" he exclaimed finally glaring at Paine.

"You have to stare into my eyes," Paine demanded. Riku rolled his eyes and stared into the endless abyss of red with hatred. He still hated the color of her eyes.

"Your eyes are ugly," he spat. He heard a familiar giggle. Riku blinked and saw Kairi in his arms.

"Is that what you really think?"

Riku blushed and shook his head. "I think your eyes are beautiful," he mumbled awkwardly.

Kairi giggled and turned a shade of crimson. "Well, your eyes aren't that bad either," she answered playfully. Riku looked away. "What's wrong Riku? You already know I'm in love with you, so why are you so nervous?" Kairi asked curiously.

"You are?" he asked in awe.

"Of course silly, you don't have to play tough guy with me," Kairi laughed.

He noticed himself getting close to her face. If he didn't kiss her now he'd go insane. There was no way this moment could be ruined. "Kairi," he cooed as he anxiously approached her lips.

"Kairi? Kairi! I'm not Kairi!" Riku blinked and backed away. An angry Paine was staring at him. "Why do you love Kairi? Oh, she's going to get it now!" Paine shrieked angrily. Riku grabbed her arm and twisted it holding her in place.

Paine stared at him with frightened eyes. She was about to feel the wrath of Riku. "If you dare harm her you'll get far more than a twisted arm," Riku growled before releasing her. She rubbed her arm and ran away. Riku smirked. "This date is over," he laughed.

* * *

Tidus and Selphie were once again flirting away without a care. Selphie played with her hair as she listened to the 'smooth' words Tidus was saying. She personally thought he sounded stupid, but his stupidity was cute. All of his pick up lines made her giggle rather than increasing her attraction factor. Selphie continued to laugh at him.

"So, what do you say Selphie how about we hook up?" Tidus asked before putting his arm around Selphie's shoulder. Selphie blushed and quickly nodded. "Yes, so now you're my girlfriend and I'm your boyfriend?" he asked to clarify. He wanted to make sure they were on the same page. These days hook up could mean anything.

"Yeah, I'm going to go tell all my friends! So, have you seen Kairi, Zidane, and Sora? I have to tell them," Selphie asked excitedly. The news was practically oozing out of her pores. Those three were her only other friends. Yuna had pretty much ruined her reputation when they were in the seventh grade so no one liked her except Zidane who surprisingly stuck by her.

"So how's the happy couple?"

They turned around to see Yuna standing to their right holding the spiked punch in a cup. "So, I see Selphie finally got herself a boyfriend, such a nice score too. He's adorable beyond all reason, fit, blue eyes, and a nice personality. But you made one mistake, he's mine," Yuna growled angrily.

Selphie blinked and grabbed Tidus she started to search his clothes. "Hey Yuna, I don't see your name on him," Selphie replied sarcastically. Yuna growled and grabbed Selphie's arm. "Hey let go of me!" Selphie cried as she tried to push Yuna away.

Yuna dumped the cup of punch on Selphie's head. Selphie glared at her and punched her in the face. Yuna backed up as she nursed her damaged cheek. "If that leaves a mark I'll kill you!" she exclaimed before tackling Selphie to the ground and beating her with her fists. The crowd gathered around chanting 'Fight' as they watched the two girls. Tidus struggled to fight against the crowd, but was soon pushed away from the scene. He couldn't help Selphie.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Catfight! Lol. Yuna started it. What was up with Riku's daydream? Is there anyone else freaked out by this? Oh and don't forget to cheer for Hayner and Olette they got close together! Poor Zidane will Garnet ever notice him?_


	16. School

_A/N: Yes more typing and at one o'clock in the morning too! Eh? Don't worry about me I'm usually up until 1:30 am anyway. I wonder how far I will get until one of parents tell me to get off unless they fall asleep and somehow I'm stuck on here all night! Lol. No I wouldn't do that._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: School 

Selphie kicked Yuna off of her sending the girl flying to the ground. Selphie had practiced in the art of karate. She liked to be prepared just in case someone that hated her decided they wanted to kill her. This was her moment. Yuna glared at Selphie as she stubbornly approached her again. She grabbed Selphie's hair and began to pull it. Selphie struggled to get away as Yuna continued to pull. Yuna punched Selphie's head. Selphie came back with a punch of her own. Soon enough they were slapping each other on the ground. Goofy and Donald watched from the side fearing that if they interfered the girls would take their anger out on them.

"Garwsh, don't fight ladies, there are plenty of other ways to solve this," Goofy said cautiously as he watched the girls scream and slap.

Donald growled. "Saying stuff won't do anything Goofy we have to take charge!" he exclaimed angrily. He wailed and ran into the fight trying to separate the girls. Selphie and Yuna only ended up kicking Donald and sending him flying across the gym. Poor Donald landed in Jack's spiked punch. Unfortunately, the duck ended up drinking it all.

"Eh mate, that booze-punch is for the kids, now get ye tail feathers out of me drink!" Jack exclaimed before grabbing the duck and tossing him away.

* * *

"Axel, come on, let's go. I want to see what's going on over there," Kairi said as she began to pull the red-haired boy toward the crowd. Axel stopped and pulled her back. "Hey!" Kairi exclaimed.

Axel squeezed her shoulder causing her pain. "We're not going over there we're going to stay here and dance, got it memorized?" he demanded. Kairi nodded whimpering as his grip tightened on her. "Good girl Kairi, maybe I'll let you talk with your friends if you have good behavior," Axel laughed amusedly.

Kairi looked up and glared at him. Axel only chuckled and turned away. "I don't take orders from anyone," Kairi hissed. She smashed her heeled shoe into his back. Axel groaned rubbing the spot she had kicked. "Hey, maybe these things are good for something," she laughed.

"You'll regret that, missy," Axel spat. He grabbed Kairi's arm roughly.

"Hey! Let of me you jerk!" Kairi shrieked as she tried to pull away, "Let me go!" Axel was forcefully pulling the resisting Kairi toward the gym doors. Every good thing she had thought about heels were now gone; they had no traction.

"Hey Axel!" The two turned around to see Sora armed with…Mr. Donald?

"What do you want pipsqueak?" Axel asked rudely. He glared at the brunette and the drunken duck he was holding. "What are you going to do? Throw the duck at me?" he taunted with a small laugh. Sora nodded before throwing Donald at Axel. Axel began to shout as Donald began to bite him.

Sora grabbed Kairi and ran into the crowd so Axel couldn't find them. Once Sora thought they were safe he stopped running and took a breather. Kairi smiled and pulled her savior into a hug. "Thank you, Sora!" she exclaimed. Sora blushed.

"No problem Kairi, I wasn't about to let that Axe take you away," Sora replied. Kairi pulled away.

"Now I want to see what that crowd is for," Kairi said in a matter of fact tone. Sora and Kairi fought their way to the crowd hoping to get a glimpse of what was going on in the center. Selphie had knocked Yuna down. Yuna gasped as she watched in horror as Selphie was about to punch her in the face. Her beautiful, flawless face was about to be smashed and disfigured.

"Selphie!"

The two turned to face Kairi who had her hands on her hips. "Selphie, why are you beating up Yuna?" she asked demandingly, "It looks like she didn't do anything to you. Look, I know you don't like her and everything but that doesn't mean you should attack her." Kairi walked over to Yuna and helped her off of the ground.

"But Kairi she attacked me first!" Selphie exclaimed. Kairi and Selphie looked at Yuna waiting for her response. Yuna took a deep breath; she would tell Kairi everything that happened.

"I was saying how nice it was for Tidus and Selphie to be a couple and then she attacked me!" Yuna exclaimed while staring at Selphie with frightened eyes, "If you hadn't come I don't know what would have happened."

Kairi raised an eyebrow not believing Yuna's tale. It wasn't like Selphie to just attack people for giving her compliments. It also wasn't like Yuna to compliment Selphie. She wanted to know the truth. She eyed Selphie. "Selphie, is that true?" she asked in a motherly tone.

Selphie shook her head. "She said Tidus was hers then she poured that weird tasting punch all over me so I hit her and then she hit me and then we started fighting," Selphie explained frantically. She didn't want Kairi mad at her.

"Okay, well it doesn't matter what happened. Since Yuna seems more in need I'm going to take her to the girl's room and see if I can fix her up. Just don't get into anymore fights guys, I don't like to see my friends fighting each other," Kairi said before her and Yuna left to the gym to pay a visit to the girls' room. Selphie nodded and walked toward Tidus since the crowd had already cleared. No one liked to see a nagging girl.

Riku tapped Sora on his shoulder. Sora turned around and grinned. "Hey Riku," he greeted, "Hey where's Paine? Weren't you her date?" Sora asked as he searched for witch number four.

"No, but you have to tell Kairi something okay?" Riku stated. Sora nodded. "Okay, can you tell her as soon as possible that her little 'friends' are using her just to get what they want and if we disagree their going to harm her, okay? I think I already got rid of Paine but I don't know what that girl is capable of so we can't trust her. So just warn Kairi, okay?" Riku pleaded. Sora nodded and saluted Riku.

"Don't worry I'll deliver your message, but why can't you tell her?" Sora asked curiously.

"Because Paine won't let me get near her and you're with her most of the time at home so you should tell her. She'd take it better from you anyway since I'm already known to hold a grudge," Riku grumbled. Sora nodded.

The rest of the dance was calm since it was almost over. All that was left was the last dance; of course, it was a slow song. Kairi had already come back from the bathroom with Yuna who looked better than she had before the fight. Her makeup was restored and her bruises were skillfully hidden. Kairi sighed and leaned against the wall. "This dance has just been drama," Kairi sighed before banging the back of her head on the wall.

"Hey Kai-Kai," Sora greeted as he leaned beside her, "What are you doing back here all by yourself? You should be out there dancing with a boy that you like."

Kairi shrugged. "I think I just want to go home and…sulk," Kairi replied sadly.

Sora grinned. "Not until you dance with me!" he exclaimed. He grabbed Kairi's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

"Sora! Hey!" she exclaimed. She sighed and smiled. "Fine, I'll dance with you," she finally agreed. Sora's eyes brightened up. He put his hands on her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. The two started to dance. Kairi was slightly surprised that Sora was such a good dancer. She doubted he learned his skills from Goofy; he was such an unbalanced teacher. She rested her head on his shoulder causing him to blush. She didn't notice, though.

"Kai-Kai, w-what are you doing?" Sora asked as he stared into her auburn locks.

"I'm resting my head, is that okay? Or do you feel uncomfortable?" Kairi questioned; she was about to remove her head.

"No, it's okay," Sora managed to choke out. She smiled and closed her eyes. She hadn't even noticed Sora's cherry red face. How she could miss something so red was a mystery. Kairi was happy. It slightly scared her about how happy she was in Sora's arms. She felt safe; she knew Sora wouldn't let anything happen to her. After all, he was one of her most cherished friends.

The night came to an end and the teens walked hope accompanied by Selphie and Zidane. They had suddenly decided to spend the night. Selphie took the room on the third floor beside Olette's and Zidane took one on the second floor in-between Naminé's and Riku's. Having a sleepover was no problem when the house had five extra bedrooms.

Kairi lay on her bed under her covers. She was thinking about the events of today. Yuna, Paine, Fuu, and Garnet had offered her a spot in their group permanently before she left the dance that evening. They said she had to go through some type of initiation that consisted of three tests. They said her first test would be in October, the second in December, and the third in January.

The months passed by and school began to get easier for the seven. They were even getting along better. Of course, they still had their occasional conflicts. Especially Naminé and Sora, the blonde had vowed to get her own revenge on Sora for the plate incident. Sora was unaware of this, because he was always gone doing something else. Selphie and Kairi had gotten closer. They were almost inseparable, except at lunch of course. Kairi enjoyed eating lunch with Yuna, Fuu, Paine, and Garnet. She had found out a lot about their personalities. Yuna was a gossip queen, Paine was attracted to emo boys, Fuu had anger management issues, and Garnet simply never spoke to her. She hardly spoke at all. She figured Garnet was more of a thinker than a talker.

Sora had never gotten around to telling Kairi about her evil witch friends. Every time Sora mentioned Kairi's new friends she would quickly change the subject; she didn't want to discuss them with Sora. Riku simply watched from afar waiting for his chance to talk some sense into the auburn girl. If Sora couldn't do it someone had to.

Olette and Hayner were also very close. Their current mission was to find Pence a girlfriend. Pence said that he didn't want one, but Hayner wouldn't have that. He vowed to find Pence a girlfriend, even if it killed him. He thought every male needed some feminine interaction.

Zidane had gotten rid of Alice and had gone back to lurking in his depression over Garnet. Sora tried his best to cheer up his friend but Zidane refused to be happy. Even when Sora made a fool of himself Zidane wouldn't laugh. Sora had a habit of tripping over his own shoes that Zidane used to find hilarious, but now he couldn't even get a chuckle out of him. Even when Tidus purposefully caused Sora to trip over his own shoes Zidane wouldn't be assuaged.

The Halloween costume dance would be coming up soon. Kairi was considering not going at all. She did not want to go to another dance with evil boy who only likes her for her looks. She also decided that if every dance was just filled with drama she didn't want to be involved. She had a feeling the girls wouldn't take no for an answer, though. She sat in Al Bhed class next to Sora who had transferred into that class because he hated learning Korean. Sora wasn't good with languages. Their teacher was Mr. Donald whom Sora had a hard time understanding.

"e'mm dyga dra vecr…" Donald said as he walked around the class room.

The students replied, "I'll take the fish."

Donald nodded. "Very good now repeat after me! Rammu so hysa ec," Donald declared loudly enough so the entire classroom could hear. Unfortunately, the louder Donald spoke the harder it was to understand him.

Sora was spaced out and staring openly at the ceiling. He was once again thinking a way to ask Kairi to go to the costume dance with him. He was even more determined this time around. Kairi would be his date to the dance, no exceptions. Donald suddenly tapped on his desk knocking him out of his thoughts. "Rammu so hysa ec!" Donald exclaimed angrily. Mr. Donald was known for his short temper.

"Ram you in hose? What!" Sora cried in fear.

"Rammu so hysa ec!" Donald repeated angrily.

"Ramen is really good?" Sora asked hopefully. He was wrong once again.

"Rammu so hysa ec!"

"Move it highlights?"

Donald's entire face turned red and he let out a wail of anger. Donald jumped onto Sora's desk and started to choke the brunette. "Pay attention in class!" Donald cried as Sora squirmed. Kairi gasped and quickly pried the fuming duck away from poor Sora.

After class Kairi and Sora walked down the hallway together. This was their free period so they could do whatever they wanted too. Sora liked to spend his free periods with Kairi; then again, he liked to spend all his spare time with Kairi. He figured now would be the perfect opportunity to ask Kairi to the dance. No one else was around. "So, uh, Kai-Kai do you have a date for the dance?" Sora asked as he hopefully stared at her.

"No, but I don't think I want to go anyway," Kairi replied, "I think I might just stay home and watch horror movies while wishing my live was better." She said her answer in such a monotone voice Sora couldn't help but feel inclined to force her to do something more fun.

"Kai-Kai! I won't let you do that!" Sora exclaimed frantically before jumping in front of her, "C-Could I take you to the dance?" He stared at her with his cerulean, determined eyes. They were practically pleading with her.

Kairi laughed almost hysterically. She couldn't believe this. "Do you really want me to go that bad that you would ask me to go with you?" Kairi asked with her hands on her hips. She had a playful gleam in her eye.

"No, Yes. But it's not for that reason! I'm asking you because…well…I…" Sora stammered, but he was interrupted before he could confess. Kairi put her finger on his mouth. She laughed again. Sometimes it was a good thing to have a friend around to help you make the correct decisions. She was thankful for Sora's kindness.

"Fine, I'll go with you even if it is a pity date," Kairi answered happily.

"But it's not…oh well," Sora pouted as he followed Kairi down the hallway. Now that he was going with Kairi he was happy, but he couldn't be completely happy because she thought it was only a pity date. He wanted to show her how much he liked her, but he had failed. He sighed and walked over to his locker. He would catch up with Kairi later. He needed some textbooks before he could join her in the library. He was surprised to see Paine waiting by his locker. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Sora asked curiously. His left eyebrow was raised in suspicion.

Paine smirked. "I'm just here to warn you, get me together with Riku or we'll ruin Kairi's life. In fact, we'll even destroy her reputation," Paine threatened.

"You can't do that!" Sora cried in horror.

She rolled her eyes. "You're so naïve. Being popular we have our connections we could make Kairi get jumped right this second. But I won't send the message I'm not that ruthless you know," Paine chuckled. She tossed her hair and stared at Sora waiting for his answer.

Sora growled. "I can't convince Riku to go out with you, I hardly know him!" Sora exclaimed as he yanked open his locker. "We hardly talk at all actually; he mostly spends his time in his room or with Kairi when I'm not around," he explained.

Paine sighed, "Fine, I guess I'll just have to ruin her life." Before Sora could protest Paine ran down the hallway planning to go tell Yuna and the others the deal.

"Kairi," Sora whispered sadly.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: What does Paine have up her sleeve? And will Sora be able to warn Kairi? Nobody knows, well except me since I'm the author. Anyways if any of you are confused this isn't a Riku x Kairi fan-fiction this is a Sora x Kairi fan-fiction! It's not exactly sounding like it at the moment because it was only the first week and I don't like writing romance that goes that fast. So now that that's cleared up submit a review please and I'll get back to you!_


	17. Costume Shopping

_A/N: Wow this month is just flying by. Just the thought of hearing 'school is starting' soon gives me the shivers. That means imprisonment and no more updating everyday! How could my mom declare no Internet on school days? **-Cries-**_

_Riku: Oh shut up just think of the bright side you'll get to be frustrated over Sora dying in Kingdom Hearts 2._

_Me: Good Point_

_Sora: Hey!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Costume Shopping

Naminé sat in the library contently reading a romance story. It was about a boy and a girl, one was a very clean person and the other was a sloppy disorganized person. They ended up living together and fell in love. She couldn't help but think the story sounded and felt familiar. She shrugged and put the book down on the table she was sitting at.

"Hey, Naminé," Roxas greeted as he took the seat next to her.

"Hey, Roxas," Naminé answered with a smile.

"So Naminé, what do you say we go to the Halloween dance together?" Roxas asked trying to sound smooth. Naminé laughed when she saw him wink at her. "Hey! You're not supposed to laugh!" Roxas cried in outrage.

Naminé giggled. "Well then don't do that, it looks so stupid," Naminé stated before giving him a swift poke to the chest. "But I'd love to go with you Roxas. I'm going with Rikku and Yuffie to go shopping for a costume," Naminé added. Naminé gave Roxas a hug before she left the library.

Roxas smirked slyly. "She can't resist me," he bragged to himself.

Riku slammed his locker shut. He let out a sigh of relief; Riku had been expecting Paine to be behind his locker again. Instead, he saw Kairi wandering down the hallway in search of Sora. He scratched his head, how could she lose Sora? He was like her cell phone that was something one never leaves behind. Then again, he was too stupid to be a cell phone; he was more like a woman's purse.

Kairi continued to look around until she spotted Riku. "Riku, have you seen Sora?" Kairi asked urgently. Riku shook his head; he was still fixated on the idea of Sora being like a woman's purse. "If you see him can you tell him I'm looking for him? I need to ask him when we are going to go costume shopping," Kairi requested. Riku nodded and Kairi smiled. She waved goodbye before leaving Riku to his own devices.

As she turned the corner she spotted Sora charging down the hallway frantically screaming her name. He didn't see her standing in front of him so when he turned the corner the two collided. Riku heard a loud 'thud'. Riku shook his head in disapproval and walked down the hallway in the opposite direction. He stifled a silent chuckle.

"Sora, I was looking for you," Kairi said as she quickly gathered the belongings that had dropped out of her bag, "I wanted to ask you when we were going to go costume shopping."

Sora grinned excitedly. "We can go today after school!" he cried happily. He was so happy Kairi wanted to hang out with him. Kairi smiled and agreed to Sora's proposal. Sora stared at her with big eyes; he wished he could kiss her, but he knew Kairi would probably hate him for it later. She claimed to be saving her first kiss for someone very special. Of course, as usual, she had no idea who this special person was. Sora desperately wished it was him.

"Sora, your staring is making me feel uncomfortable," Kairi mumbled as she took a step away from him. Sora blushed and looked away. He didn't realize he was staring so intently. He mumbled a quick 'sorry' before retreating down the hallway. Kairi shrugged and watched as Sora's figure disappeared down the hallway. She was surprised to feel so tingly; she could feel the blush on her cheeks. _'Wait, why am I blushing? He was only staring, no big deal Sora's always staring at everything. It's not like he was staring at me because he liked me or something. No that's crazy, we're just friends! Yeah, friends,' _she thought as she also began to walk down the hallway. She couldn't shake the strange feeling.

* * *

Olette walked down the hallway trying to ignore the usual dirty looks she received from Hayner's fan girls. She was successful and made her way to her locker. She quickly undid the lock and took out her notebook for the last class of the day, creative writing. This was her favorite class because she could write freely and she could also talk to Hayner as much as she wanted. She hummed to herself as she walked down the hallway toward where her classroom was. Her locker was conveniently located two doors away from her class. She entered the classroom and quickly took her seat by Hayner right before the bell rung.

"Almost didn't make it, eh?" Hayner whispered into Olette's ear. She nodded as she tried to settle down. Her breathing was rapid from her sudden nervousness; the thought of being late plagued her.

Mrs. Minnie turned away from the chalkboard and smiled at her class. "Good afternoon, students. Today I would like you to turn to your neighbor and write a small poem describing them," Minnie instructed before she continued to write the assignment on the board.

Olette looked over at Hayner who was already scribbling things down on a piece of paper. This was his usual habit when he wanted to get the assignment done quickly. She smiled and began to write her poem about Hayner; she didn't know the person that sat on the other side of her. As the class progressed Mrs. Minnie explained that they would be reading them to the class next Monday. This made Olette nervous once more. She may be confident talking about her work, but she didn't enjoy having to present it to the class. She couldn't help but dread next Monday.

The last bell rang and Olette was relieved. She quickly jumped out of her chair and gathered her belongings. She had plans to go straight home and finish her poem. Olette knew what she would say about Hayner, she just had to make sure it wouldn't be too embarrassing. She scurried out of the classroom and headed for her locker. She put in her combination and pulled the door open.

"5-21-8? I'll have to remember that."

She turned around to meet face to face with Hayner. "Hello," she said as she began to put some of her belongings inside of the locker. "What did you want, Hayner?" she asked before closing her locker.

"Well, I was just wondering if you would like to ditch that Halloween dance and go out on a real date?" Hayner asked casually and smoothly. The thought of going on a real date also made Olette nervous, but this was a good kind of nervous. Olette blushed and nodded. "Great! I'll pick you up at nine, that way everyone will be at the dance and Traverse Town will be ours!" Hayner exclaimed excitedly. With that said Hayner waved goodbye to Olette and ran over to Pence. He wanted to tell him about the girl he met in the hallway he thought would be perfect for him.

* * *

Kairi grabbed Sora's collar and jerked him away from Zidane. "Come on, Sora! We have to go costume shopping!" Kairi exclaimed angrily. Zidane smirked as he watched Kairi drag Sora down the hallway.

"Looks like he finally got to Kairi, now let's see if I can get to Garnet," Zidane said slyly. He glanced over to where Garnet's locker was and found that she wasn't there. He frantically began to search the hallways looking for his ebony haired beauty. He found her at the front entrance leaving the building with Yuna, Paine, and Fuu. He sighed and kicked the air. "There she goes again," he grumbled. He quickly exited the building nearly shoving past Naminé.

Naminé decided to ignore Zidane; she could yell at him later. "Hey girls, are we ready to go?" Naminé asked as she walked over to Yuffie and Rikku. They both had serious faces on. Something was obviously up. "What's the matter?" she asked; though, she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to that question. It was Yuffie and Rikku after all. The last time they stared at her so seriously it was because someone in the lunch line had devoured the last chocolate pudding. She didn't want to waste time lamenting on silly things; Naminé was ready to shop.

Rikku and Yuffie looked at each other; Naminé could tell they were having one of their secret, mental conversations. "Naminé, we have to tell you something. Yuna, Paine, Fuu, and Garnet are going to do something awful to Kairi," Yuffie confessed. Naminé was shocked, this was serious.

"You see, they aren't really her friends they are using her to get to Tidus and Riku," Rikku added, "And when they have no more use for her they are going to boot her out of the group and humiliate her like they did Selphie."

Naminé gasped. "How can we stop her from getting hurt?" she asked.

"We have to warn her so she can humiliate them first. Those girls need a taste of their own medicine. So today we found out that Kairi was going costume shopping with Sora since he's her date. We will magically bump into them and tell Kairi about the girls plan," Yuffie explained.

"While getting our costumes too, of course," Rikku added with a grin. Naminé agreed and the three girls walked out of the school building and toward Traverse Town's Second District. There was a costume store located there.

* * *

Sora and Kairi stood in front of two gigantic, wooden doors that were labeled 'Second District'. Neither of them had ever ventured past the First District so this was a first. They had heard from the lady in the Accessory Shop that beyond those doors were great stores for holiday accessories. So they decided that this was the place they needed to go for Halloween costumes.

"Let's go in," Sora finally said as he began to push one of the doors open. He was surprised that it was so light. Based on the colossal size of the door he had been expecting more weight. The two walked in and were surprised how dark it was inside. The only light came from the dim streetlights that were spread out across the district. There was a hotel on their right side and a line of holiday shops on their left. Kairi instinctively grabbed Sora's arm. She thought the place looked dangerous. Sora blushed. "Don't be scared Kairi, I'll protect you," Sora assured with one of his goofy grins.

Kairi nodded and slipped her hand into his. She thought this would be better than taking his arm hostage. Sora tried to hide his red face; he pretended he was looking at the sky as they walked. "Sora, here's the store," Kairi announced as she pushed through the glass door. The two walked into the store and were instantly amazed by the large amount of Halloween costumes. There was such a variety.

"Hey Kairi, what do you say we go as like a couple, you know, like Princess and Prince or Sheep and Sheep tender," Sora suggested casually. He liked the idea of looking like they belonged together. He also liked the idea of Kairi dressing as a princess. The thought made him smile.

_"Sora, I love you and always have! I was just afraid you would reject me!" Kairi proclaimed as she rested her head on Sora's chest._

_Sora grinned and embraced her tightly. "I love you too and I always have, Kai-Kai," Sora answered bravely. Kairi looked up at him with a lovesick expression in her shimmering eyes. Sora couldn't resist her gaze. _

_They looked into each other's eyes as their faces got closer. "Sora," Kairi whispered._

_"Kai-Kai," Sora called desperately. His eyes slowly began to close as he succumbed to the heat of the moment. _

_"Sora."_

_"Kairi."_

_"Oh, Sora," Kairi moaned. Their lips were almost touching and…._

"Sora!" Kairi shouted into his ear as loud as she could. He had been spaced out for almost two minutes now. She had her hands on her hips and she was staring at him with an annoyed expression. She had called his name so many times now; it aggravated her.

Sora blinked and rubbed his eyes. "But you-huh?" Sora mumbled; he was so confused. Kairi chuckled and hit him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?" Sora asked as he rubbed his sore spot.

Kairi giggled. "Stop daydreaming you lazy bum, we have to pick out our costumes, and I like your idea, by the way I said that before but I doubt that you were listening to me. What was so interesting that you tuned me out anyway?" Kairi asked curiously as she began looking through the costume rack.

She watched as his cheeks turned red. "Umm it was nothing, just, you know, thinking about…grilled chicken?" Sora laughed nervously. Kairi rolled her eyes. She was sure if he were the last human on earth he would spend his last days pigging out on food. "So, what about those costumes, what shall we pose as?" Sora asked; he was happy to change the subject.

Kairi tapped her chin as she began to think. "A Prince and a Princess is way too obvious and I'm not wearing heels ever again…or anything pink…and strappy. Cheerleader and Jock is too common, Sheepherder and Sheep is just too scary, Angel and Demon is way too opposite, Hippies are just too…scary," Kairi stated as she skimmed through the costumes with looks of disgust. Sora could swear he saw her glare and hiss at every pink thing.

They were so busy they hadn't even noticed Rikku, Yuffie, and Naminé stumble in. "Hey girls," the cashier said. It was a black haired woman whose skin was snow white and lips were a really deep shade of red. She looked Chinese.

"Oh, hey Snow, what's up?" Yuffie asked before walking over to Snow White, "Did you sell out yet on the good costumes? Because you know how we are your favorite customers."

Snow White shook her head. "I just wanted to know about that lovely couple over there," Snow responded as she pointed to Sora and Kairi. They were busily looking through all the costumes on the rack. "I was thinking about giving them _the_ costume," Snow confessed with a small smile.

"_The_ costume?" Naminé asked in confusion.

Rikku and Yuffie turned to face her with grins on their faces. "We'll tell you the story later, but I'm sure you'll over hear Snow telling it to Sora and Kairi," they both said in unison. Their exact timing on words slightly scared Naminé, sometimes she couldn't help but think they were too close. She nodded and followed Snow, Rikku, and Yuffie to where Sora and Kairi were browsing.

"Hey, I hear you two are going as a couple, well I've got a great costume that would suit both of you," Snow announced as she studied Sora and Kairi.

"That's great! Can we see it?" Sora asked eagerly. Snow nodded and led him to the back room. Kairi was left alone with Yuffie, Rikku, and Naminé. She decided to be nice and waved at the three girls.

Yuffie smiled and rested her elbow on Kairi's shoulder. Kairi didn't fancy the personal space invasion, but she didn't say anything in protest. "So Kairi, are you enjoying hanging out with Yuna, Paine, Fuu, and Garnet?" she asked curiously. Kairi simply nodded wondering why Yuffie would ask such a question. "So you're not aware of what they're really trying to do to you, eh?" Yuffie asked with a frown on her face.

"What do you mean what they're really trying to do to me? They're my friends and that's all," Kairi protested; her hands found their way back to her hips.

Rikku rolled her eyes. "You're obviously not aware of who they really are. They are witches, Kairi! Evil monsters that somehow came to be on the face of this earth!" she exclaimed as she pretended to be a zombie for emphasis, "They'll destroy you! And suck out your niceness and feed it to Fuu's pet kitten, Olive!" Rikku pretended to gnaw at Kairi's head as if sucking out her niceness. Kairi lightly pushed her away.

"We're back!" Sora exclaimed before throwing a costume at Kairi. "These costumes are great!" Sora exclaimed as he displayed his costume to Kairi. It was similar to his usual black ensemble. The only difference was it was completely white with black zigzag designs at the bottom of his shorts and on the seams of his sleeves of his jacket. The shirt that would go under his jacket was completely black along with the belts to hold up his pants. It was a complete contrast to what he was currently wearing.

Kairi looked at hers. She had a long lavender-pink gown. She made a disgusted face already hating the color. She held it up to her body only to see that it was a perfect fit. It fell down to her feet but it looked like it wouldn't drag. "Fine, we can go with these, they are the best looking anyway," Kairi answered almost reluctantly.

Snow smiled. "They also have a legend behind them. These costumes are said to resemble the outfits our saviors wore. The keyblade master would be Mr. Sora and you would be playing his princess," Snow explained. Sora hid his grin as he pretended to stare at the ceiling; he loved the idea of Kairi playing his princess. Kairi blushed as she stared at Snow White with a baffled look. Snow chuckled, "It's perfect for you two I'll even give it to you free of charge if you assure me you'll have a great time at the dance."

"We will!" Sora exclaimed before putting his arm around Kairi's waist. Kairi's eyes widened as she stared at Sora. He had a gigantic grin pasted to his face.

"Okay, see you two lovebirds later!" Snow said as she watched Sora pull Kairi out of the store. Kairi was frantically screaming 'We're not lovebirds'. Snow couldn't help but laugh.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long I had to get a life so I had many chores to do. It was so painful! Lol. But anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter I'll try and have the next one out soon okay!_


	18. Finally

_A/N: Okay guess what I have two new ideas for a fan-fiction that I will be writing alongside this one and 'Is This Just Another Lie' these aren't on my homepage because well these ideas are what I call 'golden' I won't exactly just tell you the summary off bat I just want to see which of the character groupings sound interesting. So tell me which you would prefer in a review if you please._

_Main Characters- Roxas/Sora, Kairi, Riku (Starts at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts two) Quote:_

**_Roxas you better leave her alone _**

_"Hmm why should I Sora?"_

**_Because! You know what your doing is wrong Roxas _**

_"I don't care. Don't you get it Sora you're the nobody now."_

_Main Characters- Sora and Kairi (In this one Roxas and Naminé would not be included this is slightly Alternate Universe but still dealing with the keyblade and other worlds) Quote:_

_"So what are you going to do? The princess can't live forever."_

_"I sacrifice my heart…for hers."_

_So tell me which one sounds more interesting and I'll tell you the summary of the one you vote for!_

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Finally

Roxas, Cloud, and Leon were seated on the living room couch. The three boys were supposed to be studying for their quiz, but instead they found themselves absorbed in the continuing X-games. Once again, these three boys would probably fail their monthly quiz.

"Go!" Roxas shouted at the television; he thought the skater could actually hear him yelling. Cloud and Leon were on the edge of their seats with their fingers crossed. If the skater didn't pull something quick their favorite team would be disqualified.

The boys held their breath waiting for the judges to score the skater's moves. "And they make it to the next round!" the announcer from the television shouted.

"Yes!" the three boys shouted happily. They each high-five'd each other and then pretended to do skateboard tricks on the couch. "That team rules!" they all exclaimed in unison.

Naminé, Yuffie, and Rikku giggled as they watched the enthusiastic boys. They had just returned from their costume shopping. "Aren't you supposed to be studying, Roxas?" Naminé asked before putting her hands on her hips.

Roxas laughed nervously. "We are studying," Roxas lied. He picked up his Social Studies book that had been thrown on the ground. "See, it's wide open," he chuckled nervously.

"That's not even the chapter we're on, okay, next time I'm studying with you. That way I can make sure you actually study. But now you don't get to see my costume!" Naminé exclaimed proudly before running down the hallway and up the staircase. Roxas pouted; he hated when Naminé punished him.

"Where are Kairi and Sora?" Cloud asked Rikku and Yuffie, "Roxas said they were with you guys."

Rikku shrugged. "I guess they're spending quality time or something, I wouldn't wait up," Rikku giggled, "So Cloud, Leon, who are you guys going to take to the Halloween Dance?"

Cloud blushed. "Well I was thinking about asking a friend of yours," he confessed as he looked at the floor.

"I'm taking Garnet this time," Leon replied, "She asked me for some reason so I just agreed; besides I probably wouldn't have gone anyway."

* * *

Kairi watched as Sora stuffed his face. She smiled, for some reason, his food eating habits didn't seem disgusting anymore; they seemed _cute_. She quietly chuckled as she rested her head in her hands. Sora looked up at Kairi revealing the piece of food he had stuck in his nose. Kairi laughed. "Kairi, what's so funny?" he asked as he stared at her curiously.

"You might want to wipe the food out of your nose," Kairi advised before handing him a napkin. Sora blushed and nodded. He was now embarrassed; Kairi probably thought he was a disgusting fool now. "Sora, what do you say we take a walk before heading home?" Kairi suggested; a small smile was still apparent on her face.

Sora choked on the food he had just swallowed._ Was Kairi asking him out?_ He started coughing and pounding on his chest as he tried to remove the food. Kairi gasped and pulled Sora out of his chair and started to perform the 'chocking maneuver.' She learned it at her old school. The food flew out of Sora's mouth and onto the floor. "Sora, are you all right?" she asked worriedly. She studied Sora to make sure nothing looked out of place.

"Yes, I'm okay now," Sora replied as he took in several deep breaths. Sora pulled out some munny from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Let's go take the walk," he suggested. After nearly choking Sora didn't have much of an appetite left. Kairi nodded and linked arms with Sora as they left the restaurant. Sora blushed from the contact.

The two decided to hang out at the park. As they walked toward the Traverse Town Park they talked about school and other things. Sora never got around to telling her about her evil friends, unfortunately. He always seemed to forget about Riku's warning when he was with Kairi. He preferred to focus on positive things when she was near. They reached the park in ten minutes. The sun had already set making it difficult for Sora and Kairi to see. "Sora, let's go on the swings," Kairi suggested as she began to walk in that direction.

Kairi sat on one of the swings and began to kick her legs back and forth to make the swing move. Sora grinned and came up behind Kairi and started to push her on the swing. Kairi laughed. It had been the first time she had fun with no cares at all. She didn't have any doubts; they just seemed to melt away. It was strange; she'd never felt this way before with anyone.

"Kairi, I have to tell you something," Sora whispered before pulling Kairi's swing to a stop. Kairi stared at him as if to say she was listening. "Well, you see, I-I-I," Sora stuttered. He felt his palms beginning to sweat.

"You, what?" Kairi asked with an raised eyebrow.

He let out a sigh. He couldn't tell her. "I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life and everything," Sora thanked as he grinned at Kairi. It was better this way.

"It's no problem, Sora. After all, I couldn't just let you die," Kairi replied with a small smile. She was completely unaware that Sora had just lied to her; Kairi could be very oblivious sometimes. Sora's grin turned into a mere smile. "What do you say we head back?" Kairi suggested. Sora nodded and lifted her from the swing.

"I'll carry you and our costumes!" Sora exclaimed happily. Kairi rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny that part of her felt happy.

* * *

The next day at school Riku was quietly eating his lunch. He took a bite out of his sandwich and looked up to stare at the other eating kids. This was what he usually did at lunch. Riku had gotten his own table now. Ever since the Paine incident everyone had been afraid to sit with him. Riku, of course, had no problem with this. Now there was no one to bug him relentlessly about whether or not he cuts himself. There was also no one to bother him about being their date or whatever.

"Hey."

Riku's cold, aquamarine eyes darted to his left. He saw Lulu standing beside him. "What do you want?" he asked. He still hadn't forgotten his first encounter with the strange girl.

She cracked a smile. "I figured you would want company," she replied before she took it upon herself to sit down next to him. She didn't care about his response. "After all, I'm sure you would enjoy another emo's company," she added jokingly.

He shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. He couldn't complain; she hadn't even asked him for a date. "I suppose so," he replied as he watched her take a bite of her taco. Riku continued his people scan.

"So I see you scared Paine off," Lulu said eyeing Riku. He simply nodded. "That has its merits you know, I've always hated their little group…it's a surprise that new recruit isn't acting like them," she hissed hatefully.

"You mean, Kairi?" Riku asked.

Lulu raised an eyebrow. "You know her?" she asked back.

"Yeah, she's one of the people I live with as an abandoned orphan," Riku explained, "She's stupider than you think…especially with those friends."

Lulu chuckled. "Well, well I suppose you're not that bad after all. What do you say we call a truce?" Lulu offered. She was beginning to take a liking to Riku's humor.

"Sure. We can be friends instead of enemies," Riku answered amusedly. She wasn't that bad.

* * *

"So Kairi, you haven't told us about the boy you're taking to the Halloween Dance, who is the lucky guy?" Fuu asked before drinking some of her chocolate milk.

"Sora," Kairi simply replied before taking a bite out of her burger. She knew she was in for it.

Fuu spit out her milk all over Paine's face, Paine growled glaring at both Fuu and Kairi. Yuna had a shocked expression on her face. Garnet didn't care and continued reading her book. The dance was the least of her concerns. "You're bringing that lowlife!" Fuu exclaimed in outrage. Her pale face turned completely red from her anger.

"He's not a lowlife and he's bringing me because he asked me," Kairi replied, "Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Kairi, Kairi, Kairi. If you're going to be one of us you have to know the rules. Never, I repeat, never bring low ranking people like him to any dance or formality," Yuna stated in a matter of fact tone. She almost seemed amused that Kairi didn't know that piece of information already.

Kairi shook her head. "But I want to go with him, even if he calls it a pity date," Kairi protested.

"A pity date!" Paine exclaimed, "No one pities one of our girls, you pity them got it?" Kairi gulped and nodded. Paine was scary when she was enraged. "If it's a pity date your one doing the pitying," Paine added furiously.

"Wait, do you like Sora?" Yuna asked staring at the auburn haired girl. She spoke as if this great idea had just donned on her.

Kairi quickly shook her head. "No, he's just a friend. I know I can trust him," Kairi explained, "I don't want another Axel."

Yuna and Fuu rolled their eyes. "It doesn't matter whether you trust the guy or not, the only thing that matters is if he's hot or not!" they both shouted in unison, "Now go cancel!"

"I can't do that, and if you have to be that way I think I'll go eat with him too," Kairi replied angrily. She stood up and took her tray and began her walk toward Sora's table. The three girls were baffled. No one had ever rejected them and no one had ever spoken to them in such a manner.

Garnet giggled. "It was your fault for provoking her. I personally agree with her idea but if you excuse me I have a library book to return," Garnet stated as she stood up, "I will see you later."

"Later," they all said still in awe.

* * *

Sora looked up and saw Kairi place her tray beside his. "Kai-Kai!" he exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here? You never eat lunch with us."

Kairi smiled and sat down. "I think a change is needed. I don't want to eat with such judgmental girls anyway. I'd rather eat with my real friends," Kairi answered happily.

Selphie squealed and pulled Kairi into a hug. "We're so glad you finally came to your senses, but you know, now they're going to want revenge. No one leaves those girls. It says in their weird manual thing," Selphie explained cautiously.

Tidus grinned. "Besides those girls are weird, especially that Yuna girl," Tidus stated as he scratched his head, "Why just the other day she said she'd sing a song dedicated to me at the Halloween Dance, she ran off before I could tell her not to."

"Well, you know what? I'm going to sing a song for you too!" Selphie exclaimed angrily, "I have the perfect song in mind too. It'll be great, and you'll get to see my awesome singing skills!" Tidus laughed. "What? I'm the greatest," Selphie proclaimed proudly. She couldn't wait to show Tidus her singing skills; she knew she was much better than Yuna.

"Well, I'm going to the dance as Prince Charming since I heard Garnet was going as a princess. Maybe I can steal a dance from her," Zidane said before taking a large bite out of his chicken leg. "Then she'll notice me!" he cried dreamily. Pieces of food spilled out of his mouth. His table manners were just as bad as Sora's.

"Hey Kai-Kai! You should sing a song too!" Sora exclaimed excitedly, "Your voice is great, even if you do sing depressing songs!" Kairi blushed and shook her head. "Why not? Kai-Kai you're great," Sora encouraged.

Kairi sighed. "I'm not sure I want to do that, it'd be too embarrassing," Kairi replied taking a bite out of her food, "I wouldn't feel comfortable either."

"But I know you would do great," Sora chirped happily.

She smiled. "That's all I need to know," she answered in a matter of fact tone.

Soon the school day was over and the seven went home. Today Roxas had something special planned for Naminé. He ran into the house pulling Naminé along with him. He had dragged her around the entire walk home. He was so eager to show her that he couldn't wait. "Roxas, what did you want me to see?" she asked as she was pulled up the stairs.

"It's special!" Roxas replied before pulling her into his room and shutting the door. Roxas sat Naminé down and then ran to his closet to dig through it. He pulled out his guitar and sat down on a stool in front of Naminé. "I wanted to sing a song for you," Roxas said with a small smile.

Naminé giggled. "Roxas, you don't have to do that for me," she replied. Despite how romantic the idea was, the truth was she just wanted to get out of this filthy room. She could see dust on the ceiling and it made her want to scream, but she restrained herself. "Really, you don't," she added.

Regardless of Naminé's wishes he started to play his guitar. She smiled and sighed. There was no use arguing with him. "Okay, well, here I go. I'm sorry if I suck," he said apologizing beforehand. He knew Naminé had an appreciation for quality. So, just in case he disappointed her he made sure to apologize in advance.

_I am nothing more than to see you there  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn_

_If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love  
Then let me never ever wake again  
And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn_

_Somehow I know that we can't wake again from this dream  
it's not real, but it's ours_

_Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn_

_Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
We'll be lost before the dawn _

Naminé clapped. "That was great, Roxas!" Naminé cheered with a smile. She was slightly shocked. She didn't know Roxas could sing so well. She supposed there we many things she didn't know about him, but she wanted to find them out now. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

"Thanks, Naminé," Roxas replied with a slight blush on his face. He leaned over and kissed Naminé on her lips. Her eyes widened; she hadn't been expecting that. She thought the song was a little suspicious, but now she realized what he meant. She blushed as she wondered what she should do.

* * *

_A/N: That's the end of this chapter. Finally Kairi dumped those evil witches! We should all throw a party now! But remember what I asked for in the beginning okay, just say one or two I'll know what you're talking about, well if you're an anonymous reviewer you can leave your e-mail and I'll just e-mail you back! _


	19. Halloween

_A/N: Haley Joel Osment got into a car crash. Sora has been hurt by a mailbox and a brick pillar… and has shoulder injuries and a fractured rib! The good news is that Haley is all right, even knowing that I'm still mourning so this chapter will be in honor of Sora and Haley! They say he'll make a full recovery too!_

_Sora: Really thanks!_

_Me: But I'm still mad at your voice actor for drinking while he was driving and scaring the heck out of me!_

_Sora: Oh._

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Halloween

Naminé looked around Roxas's room wondering what she should do; she was so confused. She hadn't been expecting Roxas to kiss her. This wasn't just any kiss for Naminé, it was her first kiss and despite the fact she wasn't returning the favor Roxas hadn't budged. She was so stunned she couldn't move.

Roxas finally noticed she wasn't kissing back. He opened his eyes to see the sight of a frightened, confused Naminé. He quickly pulled away and let out a sad sigh; there was no way Naminé was going to forgive him for this. "I'm sorry Naminé, I shouldn't have done that," Roxas mumbled apologetically. Naminé was about to protest but Roxas covered her mouth. "You don't have to fuss me out, you can leave I'll just…sulk. I guess I did lose you to Seifer," he continued sadly. He gently pushed Naminé out of his room and closed the door leaving Naminé to stand outside of his bedroom door.

"But Roxas," Naminé mumbled as she turned toward her room, "I don't like Seifer I like you…" Naminé sighed and quickly ran to the supply closet; she needed to do some cleaning. She pulled out the orange-scented furniture cleaner and cleaning cloth and ran around to clean some furniture. It would make her feel better, hopefully.

* * *

Olette scribbled down the last word on her paper that contained her poem about Hayer. "Perfect," she said with a satisfied smile. She carefully tucked the sheet into the fold of her binder and gently closed it; she was very delicate with her belongings. She put in her backpack and walked toward her bedroom door. After writing such a long poem she was hungry. She opened the door to be sprayed with orange-furniture cleaner. She coughed and opened her eyes to see Naminé reaching toward her face with the cleaning cloth. "Naminé!" Olette cried through her coughs.

"Olette!" Naminé cried before bursting into tears, "Roxas thinks I hate him and now I need to clean because I'm upset!" Olette smiled and gently pushed the hysterical Naminé inside of her bedroom.

She sat Naminé on her orange-covered bed and then took a seat beside her. _'Looks like I'll be eating later,' _Olette thought with a smile as she watched Naminé sniffle and whine. "Tell me all about it," Olette cooed.

* * *

Tidus hummed as he watched his microwave-able macaroni and cheese cook. Sora was also humming as he sauntered around the kitchen. Tidus blinked in confusion. He knew Sora was a happy person, but since when did Sora hum 'Do you see what I see?' Tidus found it a little concerning and slightly creepy. Sora was acting like one of those old men off of a preschooler television show. "Sora, what happened to you?" Tidus asked carefully; he didn't want to cause any violent reactions.

"I only had the greatest time with Kai-Kai tonight," Sora replied excitedly and loudly. He pulled the refrigerator open and grabbed a jug of apple juice. "I almost told her how I felt…but I didn't because I couldn't," Sora said with a regretful sigh.

The blonde boy rolled his eyes and took his macaroni and cheese out of the microwave. "You know, I bet you'll never tell her you're in love with her," Tidus stated before he grabbed a fork and began to stir his macaroni and cheese. "I mean come on, how long does it take someone like you to admit their feelings?" he asked jokingly.

Sora growled playfully. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked pretending to be offended. He set the apple juice on the counter. "I could do it if I really wanted too, I'm just scared, okay?" Sora explained. He pulled out a cup from the cabinet and walked back over to the carton of apple juice.

"Scared of what?" Tidus asked, "Rejection? You sound like a girl. But I can't blame you everyone wants a piece of Kairi nowadays. You don't stand a chance compared to all those muscular good-looking guys."

"You're not making me feel better," Sora huffed.

"I know…but that's the best advice I can give. Well, see you Sora!" Tidus exclaimed before exiting the kitchen.

_'What kind of advice is that?'_ Sora thought as he took a sip of his freshly poured juice.

The weeks passed by quickly and soon it was the day of the dance. Roxas and Naminé hadn't spoken to each other since their incident in Roxas's room. Olette was still trying to get them back together, but that would be a little hard since Seifer was taking Naminé to the dance now. Since Roxas called off his date with Naminé, Seifer took the opportunity to steal her away. In response, Roxas began acting lifeless.

Kairi stood in front of her mirror; she was dressed in her costume. The long pink and lavender dress touched the floor, but surprisingly when she walked she didn't step on the edges. She was a little embarrassed considering the dress showed a little cleavage thanks to the thin lavender straps and the way the dress was formed. She figured she would manage though. Sora would protect her from any perverts. She was also wearing the custom costume shoes that came with the dress. They were lavender high-heeled shoes that were surprisingly comfortable. The last high heel shoes she had worn were tormentors to her feet. "Well, let's go see how Sora's doing," Kairi said to herself as she quietly exited her room.

She popped her head inside Sora's room to see a strange sight; Sora was checking himself out in his mirror. Kairi laughed. Sora jumped back in surprise. "Umm I was…practicing my speech!" Sora lied laughing nervously. He didn't want Kairi thinking he was arrogant.

"Whatever, Sora," Kairi replied as she entered his room. It smelled like potato chips; she guessed he was hiding a bag somewhere. She smiled and spun around for Sora so he could see her outfit. Sora's eyes widened as he stared at Kairi. She looked beautiful in her costume, but then again, Kairi always looked beautiful.

"Wow," was all he could muster out. Kairi rolled her eyes playfully.

* * *

Selphie jumped up and down excitedly outside Tidus's room. "Hurry up, Tidus!" Selphie squealed. She was dressed as an angel. She had a yellow halo hat and she was wearing a white robe that included a huge sash that hugged her hips. The brunette even had white slippers to match her outfit. She usually didn't like the absence of color on her but it was for Tidus. He thought that this costume suited her and Selphie was too flustered by his comment to refuse.

Tidus exited his room on command; he was dressed as a vampire. He was wearing a formal black suit under his black and red cape. He had on stage make-up so he could have a pale face that brought out the fake fangs he had in his mouth. "What do you think?" he asked with a toothy smile.

"Great!" Selphie replied as she grabbed his arm, "Let's go!"

* * *

Naminé leaned against the wall in the entrance hallway as she waited for Seifer to pick her up. She was dressed as an Egyptian Queen. She had on long golden earrings and a white silk dress with a golden collar. Around her wrists she had golden bracelets. She had put on the thick black eyeliner around her blue eyes and had on a black haired wig. It was authentic as she could get it to look.

_Knock, Knock_

Naminé hurried over to the door and opened it to reveal Seifer smiling on the other side. "Hi," she replied. She wanted to look at Seifer, but found her eyes looking toward her feet instead. Their costumes didn't match and what he was wearing was simply embarrassing. Seifer was dressed as the red power ranger.

"You look beautiful," Seifer said as he stared directly at her, "Want to go now?"

"She can't leave yet," Roxas growled; he seemed to magically appear beside her. He was dressed as the phantom from Phantom of the Opera. "We're all going to pick up Zidane before we head to the dance," Roxas announced rudely. Seifer nodded and stepped into the house; now was not the time to cause a scene.

* * *

Olette wore a fancy green dress that matched her emerald eyes; the dress really made them shimmer. Today was her date with Hayner, and he instructed her to wear something fancy so she thought the dress would work fine. She was wearing strapped, high-heeled shoes to match her dress and black purse. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "I can't wait," she squealed excitedly.

"Olette, we're leaving now!" Sora announced from outside her door.

"Okay, have fun!" Olette called back as she hurried over to her bedroom door. She pulled it open and waved goodbye to Sora and Kairi as they walked down the stairs. "They would be a cute couple. Well, I guess I should go downstairs too and wait for Hayner to come," Olette thought out loud.

* * *

Riku walked down the stairs. He was dressed as a serial killer. He made the costume from his personal items because he didn't feel like going to the store. He was wearing his black hooded-jacket and black baggy pants with black shoes. He wouldn't even be going to the dance if it weren't for Kairi's convincing and threatening words.

He strolled into the entrance hallway to see everyone already waiting for him. He happened to catch a glance of Kairi; she looked great in her costume. She could play the princess role perfectly. He couldn't help but secretly wish Kairi was going as his princess instead. Sora was one lucky purse.

The group left the mansion and headed for Zidane's house. It was a short walk since Zidane didn't live very far from the mansion. Once they reached his house Sora rang the doorbell. Inside the house Sora could hear yelling and shouting and things being knocked down. Finally, a little something with large, yellow eyes opened the door. Sora blinked in confusion. _'What is that?' _he thought as he deepened his stare.

"Hi! I'm Vivi, you must be Zidane's friends," it said cheerily, "Zidane!" The group heard something else being knocked down. They also heard the sounds of more yelling and Zidane shouting something that sounded like 'Baku'. Eventually Zidane made his way to the front door dressed as Prince Charming.

"Thanks for answering the door Viv, have fun trick-or-treating," Zidane said before giving Vivi's large hat a pat. Vivi nodded and quickly closed the door.

"What was that?" Sora asked; he was obviously referring to Vivi.

"Oh, he's my little brother," Zidane responded.

"He?" Sora exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah," Zidane answered casually. Sora didn't even know it had a gender. He had never seen anything or anyone that looked like that before. There were a lot of mysteries to this world, wasn't there?

The large group walked to the school and into the gym where the Halloween Dance was being held. This time the chaperones were Jack Skellington, Mickey, Ansem, and Jack Sparrow. Sadly, Will Turner couldn't show up so the captain was taking his place. It was strange how Mr. Turner had suddenly gotten sick; no one questioned the decision. This time the gym was decorated with the colors orange and purple. They weren't exactly complementary shades, but no one really wanted to be on the decorating committee so this was the best they had. This time all the gym lights were shut off and the room was lit by electrical candles and a couple of lights from the stage.

Riku leaned against the wall as he casually glared at all the people on the dance floor. There was no way he would get on the dance floor, not this time. He was so deep in his thoughts he didn't even realize Lulu was standing beside him. She was dressed as a black mage. She had on a long purple dress that fit her curves well, but in a respectable way. She looked up at Riku and smirked. "Let's dance," she said before forcefully pulling Riku toward it.

Riku glared at Lulu as she began dance. "I don't want too," he replied curtly. He turned away, but Lulu quickly grabbed a hold of his silver-colored hair. She forcefully made him face her again.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, "You're dancing." Riku rolled his eyes and gave in. After all, it was dance or lose his hair. A few dances with Lulu couldn't hurt him. At least she wasn't like Paine.

* * *

Sora and Kairi were enjoying each other's company. They were happily dancing and laughing together on the dance floor. Kairi hadn't had this much fun at the last dance, but she figured that was because she went with the wrong person. She smiled at Sora as they continued to dance; it was then her dress decided to get in the way. Kairi accidentally stepped on the inside of the dress and lost her step in the process. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as she fell onto his chest. Sora blushed and looked away.

"Uhh, Kai-Kai," he mumbled as he continued to try and avoid eye contact with her. He didn't want Kairi to see his blush. Kairi laughed and regained her stance. He grinned. Now he could look at her. "So, are you going to sing tonight?" he asked as he began to dance once more. He twirled Kairi around.

"No! I already said that," Kairi replied as she spun around, "I couldn't, it would be too embarrassing." She managed to catch a glimpse of the stage; it appeared people were already starting karaoke time. Tifa and Aerith were singing 'Spice up Your Life' by the Spice Girls. She didn't really like that song.

Sora pouted and held Kairi close as they danced. "I think you should," he replied, "In fact, when you least expect it I'm going to push you on that stage and you're going to sing!"

"Then I'll be on my guard," Kairi teased before sticking out her tongue. Sora laughed and twirled Kairi again. He enjoyed watching her spin her dress because the ends would lift off of the floor and also twirl; he thought it looked cool. As Kairi continued to spin Paine appeared out of nowhere and shoved her to the ground. "Hey!" Kairi cried angrily as she quickly jumped to her feet.

Fuu looked at Sora. "Long time no see, monkey head," Fuu teased. Sora growled angrily; he resisted the urge to hit her. Unfortunately, he had morals; he didn't hit girls unless they hit him first. "We're sorry, but we're just getting our revenge on your date, but don't worry about it," Fuu laughed.

"You won't lay a finger on her!" Sora exclaimed. He instinctively grabbed Kairi and held her protectively.

"Sora, I can handle myself," Kairi replied as she struggled to get out of Sora's grasp. Sora shook his head and glared at the two girls that were staring at him. They were both dressed as vampires. It was what their little clique had decided to be this year with the exception of Garnet who chose to be a princess. Sora thought they should go after Garnet instead. "Sora," Kairi groaned.

"Don't worry, we'll be back for her," Paine threatened before turning around and walking away. Fuu nodded and quickly followed Paine through the crowd. Once they were gone Sora still held onto Kairi. He liked the feeling of having her in his arms, but he'd never admit it out loud. Kairi stared at him with a confused look.

"Sora, you can let go now," she stated cautiously. She couldn't help but blush. The way his hands were holding her hips made her head feel funny. "Sora…umm, you're still holding me," she repeated. Sora, finally realizing what he was doing, quickly let go of Kairi.

"Sorry," he mumbled looking away. He now had another blush to hide. He hadn't realized he had spaced out again. In his mind he was beating Fuu and Paine relentlessly while Kairi cheered for him and proclaimed her undying love for him.

* * *

Tidus and Selphie were dancing happily. Selphie wasn't the best of dancers, but Tidus managed. She'd only managed to step on his feet twice unlike the last dance they went to together. Selphie threw herself onto Tidus pulling the blonde into an unexpected hug. Tidus blushed. "Selphie, what was that for?" he asked as he watched her pull away. She had a gigantic smile on her face.

"For being so nice to me," Selphie replied as she stared at him with admiration, "That's why I'm going to go sing a song for you after the next person sings." The two looked toward the stage to see Yuna about to take the mike.

Yuna smiled and waved to the crowd. "Hi! You guys already know me as Yuna so there's no need for introductions! Today, I'm going to sing a song for a special guy named Tidus!" Yuna cried happily. This earned her a couple of cheers. She grabbed the microphone and the music started. Yuna began to sing 'Toxic' by Brittany Spears.

_Baby, can't you see  
I'm calling  
A guy like you  
Should wear a warning  
It's dangerous  
I'm falling_

Tidus grimaced. He didn't like where this song was going. He quickly grabbed Selphie's hand for support. He could see the same terrified look on her face.

_There's no escape  
I can't hide  
I need a hit  
Baby, give me it  
You're dangerous  
I'm lovin' it_

_Too high  
Can't come down  
Losing my head  
Spinning ¡around and ¡around  
Do you feel me now_

_With a taste of your lips  
I'm on a ride  
You're toxic  
I'm slipping under  
With a taste of poison paradise  
I'm addicted to you  
Don't you know that you're toxic  
And I love what you do  
Don't you know that you're toxic_

"She tasted your lips!" Selphie cried furiously. She was so angry mainly because she hadn't even managed to steal a kiss from Tidus yet. It was just another thing Yuna had beat her at.

Tidus shook his head vigorously. "No! I've never kissed her!" he exclaimed. He had to shout to be heard over the music. Selphie let out a sigh of relief.

_It's getting late  
To give you up  
I took a sip  
From my devil cup  
Slowly  
It's taking over me_

_Too high  
Can't come down  
It's in the air  
And it's all around  
Can you feel me now_

_With a taste of your lips_

_I'm on a ride_  
_You're toxic  
I'm slipping under  
With a taste of poison paradise  
I'm addicted to you  
Don't you know that you're toxic  
And I love what you do  
Don't you know that you're toxic_

_Don't you know that you're toxic_

_With a taste of your lips  
I'm on a ride  
You're toxic  
I'm slipping under  
With a taste of poison paradise  
I'm addicted to you  
Don't you know that you're toxic_

_Intoxicate me now  
With your lovin' now  
I think I'm ready now  
I think I'm ready now  
Intoxicate me now  
With your lovin' now  
I'm ready now_

Tidus gulped and held onto Selphie. He feared now feared what Yuna might do to him; she was too one-sidedly sexually involved with him. He was now officially scared of a certain brunette named Yuna.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Lol Poor Tidus getting freaked out by song. I despise Brittany Spears but I thought this song would fit! Anyway I'll be starting the first fan-fiction soon since that's the one that got the most votes. I'll probably have it out late today or early tomorrow. Thanks for reading!_


	20. Sing a Song

_A/N: Yeah more chapter goodness! You know I just realized this is going to be a very long fan-fiction. I'm going to go through an entire year up to summer so…this'll be very long won't it? My guess is around thirty chapters but I'm not so sure. Not to mention the wonderful sequel I shall write for it, because you know their adventures don't end at your freshmen year, people! So yeah…expect…the unexpectable. Look I made up my own word!_

_Riku: Isn't that dandy._

_Me: Aren't you sarcastic…just watch I'll sell you to the highest bidder you just wait!_

_Riku: Then who will be the emo in the story?_

_Me: Lulu._

_Riku: You wouldn't dare._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Sing a Song

Selphie looked at Tidus. He was in a daze. "Tidus, you didn't like her song, did you?" Selphie asked. She was already worrying about losing Tidus to Yuna. Tidus quickly shook his head; his fear could be clearly seen in his blue eyes. Selphie smiled. "Don't worry, you'll be happy about the song I sing you!" Selphie exclaimed. She was now filled with new encouragement. Yuna quickly stepped off of stage and Jack Skellington took her place.

"Howdy, boys and girls!" the skeleton greeted cheerily. Everyone stared at him strangely. This year Jack Skellington had chosen to dress as a cowboy. "Don't you get it? Howdy…I'm a cowboy?" Jack asked; he couldn't help but chuckle at his own joke. The crowd simply stared at the Pumpkin King with blank expressions. "Oh dear…I guess I should go back to my normal clothing!" he announced proudly. He ripped off his current clothing with one tear revealing his usual pinstriped attire.

"Go Jack Skellington!" the crowd cheered. They all liked Jack better as the Pumpkin King. No matter how Jack tried and tried to change his look he was better suited as what he was. He was the best home economics teacher the school had ever had.

"Thank you, thank you. Now our next singer is Ms. Selphie Tillmit. She will be singing 'Do You Everything'…oh my bad, it's backwards…she'll be singing 'Everything You Do' by M2M," Jack announced. He outstretched one of his incredibly long arms in the direction of where Selphie was walking. She quickly walked across the stage and took the microphone from Jack.

She smiled happily. "I'm dedicating this song to my boyfriend, Tidus!" she exclaimed proudly. The music started and she began to sing.

_From the moment you looked at me  
And ever since you called my name  
You've been everything that I've seen  
And know I'm caught up in this game_

_My mind is spinning round and around  
There's something special I have found  
Every time I close my eyes  
All I can think of is you and me  
Oh baby can't you see_

_That everything you do_  
_Everything that you do_  
_Makes me wanna go...ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh  
Everything you say  
Everything that you say  
Makes me wanna go...ooh ooh wah ah ah_

Tidus smiled. He did enjoy Selphie's song much better than Yuna's. It was less sexual and lustful. It sounded cute and innocent despite all the oohs and ahs. He didn't feel like Selphie was going to one day jump on top of him and rape him senselessly.

_They're trying to build a fence  
By saying that this won't last  
They tell me I don't have a chance  
That everything moves too fast_

_But every time I close my eyes  
All I can think of is you and me  
Oh baby can't you see_

_That everything you do  
Everything that you do  
Makes me wanna go...ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh  
Everything you say  
Everything that you say  
Makes me wanna go...ooh ooh wah ah ah_

_They're trying to build a fence  
By saying that this won't last  
They tell me I don't have a chance  
That everything moves too fast_

_But every time I close my eyes  
All I can think of is you and me  
Oh baby can't you see_

_That everything you do  
Everything you do  
Everything you do  
Everything you say  
Everything that you say_

Tidus was almost sad that Selphie was done singing. He enjoyed the sound of her voice. Selphie walked off of the stage and ran over to Tidus. "What did you think?" she asked eagerly. She couldn't wait to hear Tidus's feedback.

"You were great," Tidus replied before pulling the brunette into a hug. Selphie smiled.

Yuna growled as she watched the couple from afar. She banged her fist on a nearby wall. Garnet giggled as she watched Yuna's anger grow. It amused her.

"You brought this upon yourself, you know," Garnet stated in a matter of fact tone. Yuna looked at Garnet shocked. "You shouldn't have tried to meddle, but you don't know anything do you? Well, if you want me to watch you get dissed again I'll be with my date, Leon," Garnet said before she turned and left Yuna to her own devices.

Yuna watched Garnet leave in disbelief. What started that girls' sudden talking spree? Before she hardly ever spoke a word, but ever since Kairi ditched them she'd been pointing out their flaws and making fun of them while she read. Yuna would have to put Garnet back in her place.

As Garnet walked around trying to find Leon, Zidane decided to make his move. He walked toward Garnet with a small grin on his face. This was his moment. Nothing could stop him now, nothing! He was in arm's reach when an annoying, blonde girl quickly grabbed him and pulled him away. "Zidane, let's dance!" Alice cried as she pulled him onto the dance floor. Zidane watched as Garnet and Leon were reunited.

_'Curse you, Alice!' _Zidane thought maliciously.

* * *

Hayner and Olette were happily seated in a restaurant and waiting for their food. Olette was happily coloring in the kid's packet that she managed to grab when the waitress wasn't looking. Hayner had to admit Olette was a little childish, but he liked her that way.

"So, Olette…" Hayner started to say.

She stopped coloring the dancing pickle and looked at Hayner. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"I was wondering if you ended up having a good time tonight, do you think you would want to do this again some time?" he asked.

Olette tapped her chin. "I'll have to think about it," she teased. Hayner grinned. He had really made Olette come out of her shell. When he first met her she wouldn't have made a comment like that. When he first met her she wouldn't have even been able to answer his question.

"Great," Hayner replied.

The waitress returned to their table and Olette quickly hid the children's packet under the table. She didn't want to get caught. The waitress set their food on the table and quickly walked away. She didn't even tell them have a good dinner. Hayner looked at his food happily. Olette noticed he liked to stare his food down before he ate it. He did the same thing at lunch. He picked up a fork and knife and began to eat.

Olette watched him eat. She had to admit he was a sloppy eater, but he was a far cry from Sora's amount of sloppiness. Throughout their meal they spoke to each other between bites and even played a game of footsie underneath the table. Olette was having a wonderful time.

* * *

Aerith was dressed as fairy. She had on a pink dress and white fairy wings were on her back. Her costume was simple unlike some of the other fairy costumes. She decided she didn't want to spend much munny this season. She watched sadly as Sora and Kairi were dancing and laughing together. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous that Kairi had such a great guy like him. She wished she were her right now.

"Would you like to dance?"

She looked up and saw Cloud staring at her. He was dressed as a zombie. He hadn't felt like being real creative this year. He had on green stage makeup and a toy ax hat on his head. He wore the zombie costume that consisted of a torn shirt and pants; unfortunately, it didn't come with shoes. Aerith didn't seem to mind. She smiled. "Cloud?" she called happily.

The blonde boy nodded. "Would you please dance with me?" Cloud asked again. He seemed to be begging her.

"Okay," she replied shyly. Aerith hid her blush. Cloud escorted her to the dance floor and they began to dance. Aerith felt happy. She also happened to have a small crush on Cloud.

Yuffie was dressed as a ninja, Rikku was dressed as a gunner, and Tifa was a boxing champion. They watched happily as their friend, Aerith, danced with Cloud. "I knew he liked her," Yuffie said happily.

"They're so cute together," Rikku sighed as she watched, "I hope they get together."

* * *

"So Naminé, are you thirsty?" Seifer asked as he stared at the Egyptian Queen. He neglected to notice the sad look on her face. "Hey Naminé? Naminé?" he called.

She was thirsty, thirsty for Roxas. She wanted to be with him right now, not Mr. Power Ranger? Why did she even agree in the first place? Naminé only agreed to be Seifer's date because she was too proud and too embarrassed to go to the dance alone.

"No, I'm not thirsty," Naminé replied quietly.

"Want to dance?" Seifer asked. He knew for a fact Naminé liked to dance.

"No," Naminé replied again.

"Do you want to sing?" Seifer asked hopefully.

"No."

"Do you want to hang out later?" Seifer asked. He didn't like the string of no's he was receiving.

"No."

"Do you not want to kiss me?"

"No." Seifer smirked happily; she'd fallen for his trap. "Wait! Hey!" Naminé cried angrily. She crossed his arms and glared at Seifer.

"Pucker up," Seifer laughed. Naminé put up her hands in defense as she tried to push her head away from him. She was surprised by how strong his neck muscle was. He only continued to get closer and closer to her.

"Get away!" Naminé cried as she pulled and tried to get out of Seifer's grasp. Naminé whimpered closing her eyes tightly. She didn't want another random kiss. Instead of getting kissed, she heard something that sounded like a groan. She opened her right eye to see Roxas beating Seifer down with a metal chair while Captain Jack Sparrow cheered him on. It was obvious the captain had spiked the punch again and had taken a few drinks.

Naminé smiled and quickly walked toward Roxas. She touched his arm gently. Roxas turned to face Naminé dropping the metal chair on Seifer's face in the process. "He was-so I-but you-I couldn't," Roxas stuttered. Naminé smiled and gave Roxas a kiss. Roxas was shocked.

"I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner, but I really like you Roxas," she confessed. Roxas smiled and put his arm around Naminé. "Can we go dance?" she asked happily.

"Sure," Roxas replied with a grin. _'She can't resist me,' _he thought happily.

* * *

Mickey frowned at Sephiroth. "I know you can hear me, young man!" Mickey lectured loudly.

"What? I can't hear you. All I'm hearing is squeak, squeak, squeak, stop talking in mouse," Sephiroth taunted. Mickey rolled his eyes. After the first thousand times of hearing that joke it got old. He couldn't wait till Sephiroth graduated. Ever since he had arrived at the school as a freshman he'd been giving Mickey a hard time.

Sephiroth cackled evilly before walking away. He was dressed as a maniac. Mickey thought it suited his personality.

* * *

"Is there anyone else who would like to sing before Ansem and I started our duet?" Jack Skellington asked. Sora grinned and pushed Kairi onto the stage. He had caught her off guard.

"Sora!" Kairi cried angrily as Jack Skellington eagerly pulled her onto the stage. It was almost like he didn't want to sing a duet with Ansem. Sora smirked and looked around for his friends. He needed to find a proper audience for Kairi along with some support. He spotted Roxas and grabbed him.

"Get off!" Roxas growled angrily.

"You're going to play the guitar, okay?" Sora instructed.

"Oh, fine," Roxas huffed. Sora knew Roxas couldn't refuse an offer to play the guitar.

"So, what are you going to sing, little girl?" Jack asked as he smiled down at Kairi. Kairi rolled her eyes and tapped her chin. Then a song came to her.

"'I Must Be Dreaming' by Evanescence," Kairi replied sweetly. If he thought she was a little girl she might as well play the part. Jack handed her the microphone and walked off of the stage.

"Hey."

Kairi turned around saw Roxas with a guitar in hand. She smiled and turned back around to see Sora grinning at her from the audience. She glared at him playfully before taking a breath. She motioned for Roxas to begin. Roxas started to play his guitar and a few minutes later Kairi started to sing.

_How can I pretend that I don't see  
What you hide so carelessly?  
I saw her bleed  
You heard me breathe  
And I froze inside myself  
And turned away  
I must be dreaming_

_We all live  
We all die  
That does not begin to justify you_

As Sora expected Kairi sang a song that wasn't exactly happy. He didn't complain, though. She sang it wonderfully.

_It's not what it seems_  
_Not what you think  
No I must be dreaming  
It's only in my mind  
Not in real life  
No I must be dreaming_

Roxas started his first guitar solo making the small crowd cheer.

_Help you know I've got to tell someone  
Tell them what I know you've done  
I fear you but spoken fears can come true_

_We all live  
We all die  
That does not begin to justify you_

_It's not what it seems  
Not what you think  
No I must be dreaming  
It's only in my mind  
Not in real life  
No I must be dreaming_

Roxas cut in for his second guitar solo getting another cheer from the crowd. He had never realized he was such a good player. The cheers from the crowd continued to encourage him and pump up his ego. His ego especially surged when he caught a glimpse of Naminé screaming and cheering his name. Roxas grinned happily.

_We all live  
We all die  
That does not begin to justify you_

_It's not what it seems  
Not what you think  
No I must be dreaming  
It's only in my mind  
Not in real life  
No I must be dreaming_

_Not what it seems  
Not what you think  
I must be dreaming_

_Just in my mind  
Not in real life  
I must be dreaming_

The song ended and everyone cheered for Kairi and Roxas. Kairi smiled and quickly walked off of the stage. She was ready for the embarrassment to end. Sora was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. "You were great," Sora cheered as he helped her down the last step.

"You're lucky I'm a forgiving person," Kairi said almost threateningly. She eyed Sora with a slight glare. He laughed nervously as they walked toward the crowd. Roxas jumped off of the stage and let the cheering audience carry him to where Naminé was standing. Naminé smiled and congratulated him.

Sora left Kairi and went to get her some punch. After that incredible singing she had just done he figured she was thirsty. That, and he was unaware Jack had spiked the punch. Kairi stood in the middle of the dance floor and patiently waited for his return. She had completely forgotten about the threats from Paine and Fuu. She was still basking in her glory moment. She was suddenly thrown to the floor. She looked up and saw it was Fuu who had kicked her down. "Fuu," she growled as she regained her stance, "What do you three want?"

Yuna smiled and looked over at Paine. "Don't you remember? You ditched us, so now you have to suffer," Paine replied before she cocked back her hand and slapped Kairi hard on the cheek. Kairi ignored the stinging pain from her cheek and smirked. She cracked her knuckles.

"You don't know who you're dealing with do you?" Kairi asked through her growl. She quickly slapped Paine back just as hard. She could hear the slap of Paine's flesh echo through her ear. She then kicked Paine in the stomach and watched as she doubled over. Kairi took a hold of Paine and threw her into Yuna. "I've been in more fights than you know. I could pass for a gang leader. In fact, I've been called one before," Kairi chuckled angrily.

Fuu growled and grabbed Kairi's shoulders; Fuu quickly took the opportunity and punched Kairi in the stomach. Kairi came back with a kick in Fuu's shin causing her to release her. Kairi ran outside; she didn't want to disrupt anyone who was having fun at the dance. She hadn't known it was raining.

"Hey Kai-Kai…I got the…Kai-Kai?" Sora mumbled. He scanned the area in search of his date. He caught a glimpse of Kairi running out the gym doors being followed by Fuu. Sora dropped the drinks on the ground and followed after the two females. Riku and Lulu happened to be dancing nearby. As they passed over the place where Sora once was Riku slipped on the spilled punch and fell to the floor. He growled as he slowly regained his stance; he looked like an old man as he held his back in pain. Lulu contained her laughter by pinching her arm.

Once Sora got outside he saw Fuu and Kairi locked in an intense showdown. "Kai-Kai!" Sora shouted as he quickly ran to her. Kairi had mud all over her, but that was probably because Fuu was pushing her down on the ground. Sora could see the bruises Fuu already had all over her body.

Kairi managed to undo her heels and throw them at Fuu's face. She took the time Fuu was distracted to stand up and try and get the mud off of her face. Fuu quickly came back and tripped Kairi so that she was back in the mud. Fuu raised her fist about to bring it down but Sora grabbed her wrist. "Leave her alone!" Sora hissed. Lightning flashed in the sky just then and illuminated Sora's angry face. He knew he had to fight for Kairi. He kicked Fuu's side and picked her up while she was vulnerable. No one messed with Kairi. He threw her onto the pavement knocking some air out of her. He watched as Fuu tried to regain her breath, but he could tell she was done.

"Sora," Kairi mumbled as she stared at Fuu. She hadn't known the brunette had so much rage inside him. He grinned at her and grabbed her hand. He helped her out of the mud and onto her feet.

"Come on, let's go home," Sora suggested with a small smile on his face.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: There's some dance drama for you. Another fight scene but it wasn't that long and hopefully it was more interesting than the other one I did in the welcome back dance. I hope you liked the chapter! Wow maybe I can update all three of my fan-fictions today!_


	21. Sour Memories

_A/N: Okay now it is chapter twenty. I hope this is enough fluff to fulfill all of your needs. Lol, not that it's a lot but it's not the quantity but the quality! I'll be honest though, I'm not the best when it comes to fluff, but I'll try! Besides only a person with real fluffy experience can write good fluff, but there will be fluff in this fan-fiction whether it sucks or not!_

_Sora: Yes, then there's still hope!_

_Hayner: Hope about what?_

_Sora: N-Nothing._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Twenty: Sour Memories

"Come on, let's go home."

Kairi smiled and linked arms with Sora. They ran home despite the horrible thunderstorm. During their journey they only saw occasional flashes of lightning in the distance; they did, on the other hand, hear plenty of thunder. The two were completely soaked once they reached home. Sora opened the door and then closed it behind them. "Sora, thanks for tonight. I had fun, but I'm going to go change into my pajamas and get some sleep, okay?" Kairi said as she rubbed her arms to try and regain some warmth.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, me too," Sora agreed. The two walked up the staircases and went into their rooms.

Kairi changed into her pajamas and slipped under her covers. She closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. Ever since that fateful day when she was younger she feared thunderstorms. She thought she might be able to overcome her fear, though. After a few minutes of listening to the rumbling outside Kairi decided she couldn't do it anymore. She quickly left her bed and hurried out of her room. She scurried across the hallway that was suddenly lit by a flash of lightning; Olette had left her room door open. She pushed open Sora's door and saw him lying on his bed with his hands behind his head. He was staring at the ceiling dressed only in his boxers. "Sora," Kairi whispered. Sora looked over at his doorway to see Kairi standing in the shadows.

He sat up and looked at her strangely. "What's up, Kai-Kai?" he asked curiously. Kairi entered the room and quickly approached his bedside.

"I'm scared," she mumbled as she looked at the floor. She was afraid he might laugh at her for being afraid of a thunderstorm. After all, it's not like it could hurt her while she was indoors.

"It's all right Kai-Kai, so what do you want me to do about it?" Sora asked. His head tilted to the side. He didn't understand why Kairi was sharing this information with him.

Kairi stared at him with innocent, begging eyes. "Could I sleep with you tonight?" she asked as she fiddled her fingers nervously. Sora blushed and scratched his head. Should he let Kairi sleep with him? He would feel awkward the entire night, but she would be scared all alone in her room if he said no. He nodded; he couldn't let Kairi be alone with her fears. Kairi smiled and climbed into his bed.

"Umm, make yourself comfortable," Sora said as he watched Kairi settle down. Kairi laid down and turned away from Sora.

"Thank you for everything. For helping me at the dance and for this…and for being my friend," Kairi whispered as she slowly began to drift off into sleep.

"Don't mention it," Sora replied quietly as he laid down next to her. He now wished he had a wider bed. He was so close to her he could feel the strands of her hair touching his nose. Sora huffed blowing the strands away. He didn't things tickling his nose in his sleep. He heard her whimper. "Don't be scared," Sora cooed as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Kairi nodded before closing her eyes. She soon drifted into sleep still wrapped in Sora's protective shell.

_A small, auburn-haired girl ran into a kitchen holding a piece of white computer paper in her hand. "Mommy!" she cried happily as she jumped up and down continuously. The woman called 'Mommy' smiled at her daughter as she continued to cut lettuce. She was dressed in a pink apron and her long hair was tied into a ponytail at the top of her head. _

_"What is it, Kairi-dear?" the woman asked gently._

_"Look I drew our family! You, Daddy, and Me!" Kairi exclaimed as she held up the picture to show her mother. Kairi depicted their house which was drawn with purple crayon. Beside the house were three stick figures of different sizes standing together while holding hands; they were drawn in black crayon. The woman smiled and nodded. Kairi sniffed the air. "What are you making mommy?" she asked curiously. _

_"Chicken Salad," she answered. _

_Kairi tilted her head. "Is that good?" Kairi asked. _

_"Yes, and it's very healthy for you too," Kairi's mom replied before giving Kairi's head a pat, "When daddy gets home you can show him you're picture too." Kairi nodded eagerly. She turned around to leave the kitchen, but instead locked eyes with her father. _

_"Daddy!" Kairi exclaimed before she ran and hugged her father's leg. _

_"Chihiro! Get her off of me," the man grumbled as he shook his leg. Chihiro giggled._

_"Kairi, go draw another picture, Daddy's not in the mood to talk right now," Chihiro said as she shooed Kairi out of the kitchen with a wave of her hands. Once Kairi left Chihiro turned her to husband with a sad look on her face. "What's the matter Seiko? Yyou always enjoyed Kairi hugging your leg," she asked with a voice filled with concern. _

_Seiko rolled his eyes. "I just wish she'd go away, she's the reason we're having financial problems right now," Seiko spat as he walked past his wife. Chihiro gasped. _

_"Seiko! How can you say that about our daughter?" Chihiro asked angrily. She followed Seiko to the refrigerator and watched as he pulled out, yet, another beer. He yanked off the top and took a drink from the bottle. "You're the reason we're having financial problems! You use all our money on beer!" Chihiro cried. _

_Seiko threw the bottle on the floor. The bottle shattered into the pieces and the liquid spilled all over the floor and bottom cabinets. "Don't you blame our problems on me, woman!" he shouted angrily, "You didn't say that when I married you! And you didn't say that when Kairi was born! It's time I put you back in your place!" Seiko grabbed Chihiro's throat and began to strangle her. Chihiro gasped for air as she struggled to get away from her husband's death grip. She slowly grabbed her cutting knife and cut his fingers with the blade. He quickly pulled away and groaned from the pain. _

_Chihiro ran out of the kitchen and into the living room where Kairi was happily drawing pictures of their 'happy' family. Chihiro grabbed her daughter pulling her to her feet. "Kairi, you have to get out of here! Run from Daddy!" Chihiro shrieked as she began pushing the reluctant Kairi toward the front door. _

_Kairi started to whine and cry. "Mommy! What's going on!" she cried but before Chihiro could answer Seiko growled as he emerged from the kitchen with a butcher knife in his hand. Chihiro screamed as she grabbed Kairi and held her in her arms._

_"What are you doing?" Chihiro cried desperately as she held onto Kairi protectively. _

_"I'm ending our financial problems. Now, get out of the way, Chihiro!" Seiko demanded. Chihiro shook her head violently. "Fine, then you'll just have to go too!" he cried. Seiko plunged the knife into Chihiro's back. Chihiro gasped for air as her grip on Kairi loosened. _

_"How much…did you drink?" Chihiro asked as she toppled to the floor. She quickly died. _

_Kairi screamed as she stared at her dead mother. "Mommy!" she shrieked as she began to shake the bleeding corpse. "Mommy! Wake up!" Kairi begged. _

_"Shut up!" Seiko commanded; he lifted Kairi from the ground by her collar. Kairi screamed louder as she locked eyes with her drunken, blood-crazed father. Seiko growled in pain; the frequencies of Kairi's screeches were annoying him. He slammed Kairi into the wall as an attempt to shut her up. Kairi's tears were streaming down her cheeks. "You're the problem! I wish you were never born!" Seiko cried mercilessly. _

_Seiko pulled the knife out of Chihiro's back allowing her blood to drain everywhere on the carpet. Kairi screamed as loud as she could as she struggled to pick herself up. Seiko held her against the wall and began to run the blade down Kairi's back; she cried in pain. Seiko growled and threw the knife on the ground. He went to the front door and kicked it open. He threw Kairi out the front door and onto the concrete sidewalk in front of their house. _

_The pouring rain soon soaked her; a thunderstorm was already forming. Seiko stumbled down the porch steps lifted the screaming girl once more. He threw her into the street causing her to taste the asphalt. Her forehead and nose were now bleeding. "Get up!" Seiko shrieked from the sidewalk._

_Kairi cried harder but was unable to move because of the fierce pain she was feeling. "Daddy!" she cried, "Stop!" Seiko growled and ran to where Kairi was lying on the ground. Kairi screamed closing her eyes tight. Seiko pulled at Kairi's hair as she wailed. Soon she was unable to scream and instead they turned to whimpers. Seiko released her hair; he bent down and started to whisper in her ear, "No one loves you, Kairi. No one could ever love you; you're such a burden to this planet. You're a mistake."_

_The tears continued to fall as Seiko chuckled. He removed himself from Kairi's side and went back to the sidewalk. He broke into a strumbled run and disappeared into the stormy night. Kairi was on the verge of passing out; her vision was fading. The thunder rumbled loudly and she could see the bright flashes of lightning in her peripheral vision._

_In front of her the headlights of a car were growing closer. Kairi tried to move her body but she was losing feeling. The bright lights were growing closer and closer until…_

Kairi's eyes quickly flashed open; she immediately began screaming and crying. Sora jolted up from the bed. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he stared at the crying girl. "Kai-Kai, what's wrong?" he asked as he, once again, wrapped his arms around her. Kairi didn't answer; instead, she turned toward Sora and cried into his chest. Sora frowned and hugged her tighter. He laid back down and began rubbing her back. He knew that was what comforted him whenever he had a nightmare. Sora even began to whisper reassuring words into Kairi's ear for extra comfort.

**_A few hours earlier_**

"Did ye hear mate? Some girl got roughed up a bit outside," Jack Sparrow whispered into Jack Skellington's ear. Jack Skellington put a hand over his mouth. He had never enjoyed violence.

"Oh my! I hope the poor girl is all right. I should bring her the joy of Halloween," he exclaimed as he pointed his index finger toward the air, "Everyone feels better with a good scare!"

"Good luck, mate," Jack Sparrow chuckled. Jack Skellington walked into the crowd starting his search for the beaten girl. He happened to pass by Riku and Lulu.

Riku and Lulu were now leaning against the wall watching everyone else dance. They had had their fun for the night. Riku had his arms crossed and his aquamarine eyes were glaring at everything he stared at. Lulu simply held her signature 'I don't give a care look'.

Xehanort walked by and sighed. He had decided to come to the dance for leisure. "Great…if you two start a gang together, I swear, I will break it up," he threatened as he glared at Lulu and Riku.

Lulu and Riku glared holes in his head as he walked away. "I hate him," they both growled in unison. They looked at each other. "You hate him too?" they both said again, "Yeah."

Lulu laughed. "I guess we both do have more in common than we think," Lulu said as she crossed her arms, "This is the start of an emo friendship."

Riku nodded and smirked at Lulu, "Yes I believe it is."

* * *

Hayner and Olette were walking back to the mansion underneath the umbrella Hayner had brought with him. Their date was coming to an end. Olette looked at Hayner. "Hey Hayner, did you ever finish the poem for Creative Writing?" she asked curiously.

Hayner rubbed the back of his neck. "Well no, but I'll get it finished over the weekend," he replied. He wondered why Olette would mention homework at a time like so. He hated homework; he had better things to do, like play videogames.

"Oh, well I already finished," Olette replied as she linked her hands together, "I worked really hard on it, so I hope you like it. After all, it is about you."

The blonde boy smirked. "Well, if you wrote it I'm sure I will," he replied smoothly, "I'd like anything you created." Olette blushed and rolled her eyes. He had been trying the cheesy pick-up lines the entire date. It didn't look like he would stop using them any time soon. "What? That one was cheesy too?" Hayner asked obliviously.

Olette nodded. "You'll have to come up with better pick-up lines if you want to impress me," Olette stated playfully, "I don't just fall for the cute, stupid guys."

Hayner snapped his fingers. "Man, I thought I had that going for me," he joked. Olette laughed and quickly looked away from him shyly. "Well, here's your home," Hayner announced. Olette looked up and saw they were standing in front of the front door. She hadn't even realized she'd walked up stairs. That must be the effects of good atmosphere.

She turned to Hayner. "Thanks for the evening, I really enjoyed myself," Olette said with a smile, "I definitely had more fun with just you than I would've ever had at the dance. Thank you, Hayner."

"Aww, don't mention it," Hayner replied, "I'm just sorry your dress got a little wet, even though you're the one who wanted to walk in a thunderstorm." Olette laughed. Her dress wasn't that wet. It'd be dry in no time. "Well, I'll see you Monday at school, okay?" Hayner said with a smile. Olette nodded. Hayner grinned at Olette. She could see the mischievous gleam in his eye. Before she knew it, Hayner leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He then quickly jumped down the staircase and ran down the trail with his umbrella in hand.

Olette stood there completely shocked. Hayner had just kissed her. She had been expecting that to happen because she knew what kind of boy she was. But right then and there? She kind of wanted her first kiss to be more romantic. She sighed and walked into her house. She was instantly greeted by the trail of wet footprints. "I guess the others are home," she said, "Well, I can't take a bath in a thunderstorm so I guess I'll just go straight to bed." She climbed the staircases and walked into her room. She didn't even notice the figure of Kairi entering Sora's room.

* * *

The others ran down the streets while covering their heads with their hands. Selphie and Zidane would be sleeping over again since the mansion was surprisingly closer than their homes. In other words, Selphie wanted to spend more time with Tidus and Zidane just didn't feel like going home. The six ran onto the porch and into the house. Roxas closed the door behind them since he was the last one inside.

Naminé breathed heavily as she leaned against Roxas's soaked costume. "Now we're all wet and dirty, if only it wasn't a hazard to take a bath during a thunder and lightning storm," Naminé cried in distress.

Selphie shrugged. "We'll just take a bath in the morning, it won't kill us," Selphie answered casually. It was now she took the time to finally look down at her wet, white costume. It finally hit her. Selphie quickly covered her secret areas. "Nobody look at me!" she squealed before she turned and ran toward the staircase.

Roxas, Zidane, and Tidus blushed; they were, after all, hormonal, teenage boys. Riku only rolled his eyes. Naminé slapped them all across their faces. She crossed her arms and muttered to herself about how immature they were all being. Riku growled; he didn't understand why Naminé hit him.

"You know, Naminé. Your costume is white too," Roxas teased. Naminé screamed and covered herself as she quickly retreated to her room. Roxas smirked. Naminé had neglected to cover her butt when she ran so Roxas just got a lovely view of her black thong.

"We should probably get some sleep too," Zidane suggested as he undid the blue ribbon that was holding his blonde hair, "I'll see you guys in the morning." With that said the four marched up the staircase and filed into their rooms. Zidane took the empty room between Naminé and Riku.

Zidane huffed as he quickly changed out of his drenched costume. He fell back onto the futon with only his green boxers on. He stared at the ceiling; he could feel his wet bangs sticking to his forehead. Zidane let out a long sigh. "You still didn't notice me," he said to the ceiling, "Am I that invisible that you even miss me when you pass me in the hallway?" He turned over and rested his head on the pillow. He covered himself with the white blanket and closed his tired eyes.

_A thirteen-year-old blonde boy walked down the seventh grade hallway proudly. It was the start of a new year. This time he was going to make sure he wasn't the laughing-stock of the entire grade. He looked down at his tail and sighed. "How am I going to hide you?" he asked._

_"He's talking to his butt again!"_

_"That Zidane, he's just one crazy guy."_

_"I'll bet he's an alien."_

_"I can't wait to learn about suffixes and prefixes!" _

_Zidane sighed and hid his face from his laughing peers. His blue eyes were filled with sadness as he slowly drug his feet down the hallway. Their laughter only grew louder and soon Zidane couldn't take it anymore. He started to run down the hallway in a desperate attempt to escape his peers, but instead, he bumped into someone and fell to the ground. Unfortunately, he landed on his tail. Zidane winced as he rubbed his backside. "That was painful," he groaned. Zidane looked up from the ground to lock eyes with the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. _

_The girl had brown eyes and black hair that was an inch past her shoulders. Even if she was wearing the standard collar shirt, plaid navy blue skirt, and knee-high socks she was a true beauty. Her skin looked creamy and her body was so petite and cute. "I'm sorry," Zidane apologized as he helped her gather her books. He took notice of the three library books and binder that she was holding. She was strong for someone with such a feminine figure. "Here," he said as he handed her what he gathered. _

_The girl took the books from Zidane and smiled at him while mouthing the words 'Thank You'. Zidane was about to start a conversation with her when someone else's voice interrupted him._

_ "Garnet!"_

_The girl quickly turned around responding to her name. A brunette girl with a blue eye and a green eye and smug look on her face was calling to her. Zidane already knew her as Yuna. She was the girl that had started his misery in elementary school. She and her friend, Fuu, were ruthless. It looked like Garnet would be their new addition._

_Zidane sighed dreamily as he watched her walk away. "So her name's Garnet, eh? I'll get her to notice me no matter how long it takes!" Zidane declared. _

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Now you know part of Kairi's past and how Zidane met Garnet. Isn't that wonderful? Lol. Anyway I apologize for any typos I'm typing this pretty late into the night so I'm halfway asleep already. So sorry! Don't fuss at me! I proofread to the best of my ability, lol. Well there's the twentieth chapter._


	22. The Day Afterwards

_A/N: Okay, brace yourselves. Soon…I won't be able to update regularly, because of school. I will not be able to get on the weekdays so here is the deal folks! Since I'm not allowed online I'll just type them out on Word. Then when the weekend comes I'll upload them onto and then it will be all updated like. That's how it'll be the entire school year…not counting spring break, Christmas break, or any break. So please bear with me…now there's always the chance your wonderful author can sneak on! Lol, no I wouldn't do that._

_Zidane: What are you talking about you did that five times last year._

_Me: **-angry look-** Shut up Zidane._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts! I wish I did though…that'd be awesome._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One: The Day Afterwards

_"That is so cute."_

_"No, it's just creepy."_

_"What do you think they did last night?"_

_"That's disgusting! His sheets are probably all sticky."_

_"Naminé! You have a disgusting mind!"_

_"…But the filth."_

_"Kairi's not that kind of girl."_

_"He finally spoke an entire sentence!"_

_"Shut up."_

_"Shutting up."_

_"They're waking up."_

Sora was the first to open his eyes. He yawned and blinked several times to clear his vision. Everyone was standing around his bed staring at him with the exception of Kairi. "Umm, what's going on?" he asked, "And where's Kai-Kai?"

Selphie stifled a laugh and pointed to Kairi who was still sleeping soundlessly beside him. Sora's eyes widened. He yelped and fell out of his bed onto the hard, wooden floor. Roxas smirked at him. "Don't worry, I got some nice shots of you touching her in personal areas. You're not a still sleeper are you?" Roxas asked with a small chuckle.

Sora's face turned as red as a beet. "Could you just leave?" Sora muttered; he didn't bother to lift himself from the floor.

"I'll be back up later to wash your sheets," Naminé announced before she turned and left the room. The others soon followed as they snickered to themselves. Sora sighed and closed the door behind them.

"Kai-Kai," Sora whispered as he gently shook her, "Come on, get up." He stared at her serene face. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep; she looked as if she hadn't had a nervous breakdown last night. It was weird that all his memories returned to him after he hit the ground. Kairi slowly opened her eyes and stared at Sora. "G'morning," he greeted cheerily.

Kairi smiled and quickly sat up in Sora's bed. "I'm sorry if I bothered you last night," Kairi apologized before she gave his spiky head a small pat.

"What was scaring you so much anyway? I mean you woke up screaming about three times," Sora pointed out before he took a seat next to her. Kairi looked away; she wasn't sure she was ready to explain about her past. "I'm sorry if I offended you, I just wanted to know what was bothering my friend," Sora added with a small, weak smile.

"No, it's all right. I can't blame you for being curious. But anyway…I'm going to go get dressed for the day. See you later, Sora," Kairi said. She waved goodbye before she slipped out of Sora's gently closed his door and ran into her room a blush on her face. _'I slept with Sora when he was only in boxers…what's wrong with me? Though, he does have nicely toned muscles…ack! What am I thinking! Bad thoughts, Kairi! Sora's just a friend that's all. Friend!' _she thought frantically.

She walked over to her closet and smirked. "Goodbye pink," she cackled evilly. She pulled out all of the pink clothes out of her closet and threw them onto the ground. She rubbed her hands together and picked up the small load. "Now, I'll stick you in the drawers so I never have to see you again!" she cried happily.

Kairi opened her bottom drawer and started to stuff the clothes inside; she didn't even bother to fold them or organize them. Unfortunately, the stuffing was harder than she had expected. She'd never realized clothing could be so poofy. She quickly slammed the draw shut and sealed the clothing inside for good.

"Now that that's gone I can go back to my half-emo self," she said happily. She quickly pulled out a black shirt, black hooded jacket, black vans, and her favorite jean skirt. She sighed happily. She would finally feel right in her clothing. She took the clothing, left her room, and disappeared into the bathroom. She needed to shower.

* * *

Riku grumbled as he slowly put on his work uniform. How he despised it. It wasn't enough that it had to be a bright red, but it also had a large, yellow, grinning smiley face engraved into the vest. Whenever he put it on he felt like his skin was burning off. He walked out of his room and down the hallway, staircase, and out the front door on his way to Dill mart. He was the only person in the house of legal working age so he had to endure the torture for the sake of the house.

Selphie giggled. Riku looked so unhappy in his uniform. She watched him leave before continuing her new ritual. This ritual included running into the kitchen and begging Tidus to share whatever he would be eating for lunch. She didn't feel like going home yet and no one had bothered to make a group meal. She wasn't like Zidane who just helped to himself to whatever was there. She dashed into the kitchen to see Tidus happily about to eat his burger. "Tidus!" Selphie whined. She began to make the puppy dog face as she stared at him.

"Yeah?" Tidus asked. He was completely unaware of her evil plan.

"I'm so famished! I think I might faint," Selphie whined; she stumbled backward for emphasis.

Tidus blinked. "You can have my burger if you want," he offered casually.

Selphie shook her head. "No, no! I couldn't take your food from you that would be so rude. I would feel like a thief," Selphie cried dramatically. Tidus put his burger back on his plate and handed it to Selphie. "What? But Tidus what about-," she mumbled.

"No, you need it more than I do," Tidus replied as he smiled at her, "I can't have someone as pretty as you falling on the floor unconscious." Selphie watched as he left the kitchen. She smirked triumphantly.

"I am so good," she quietly squealed before she took a big bite of Tidus's burger.

* * *

Roxas was jumping on the couches in the hangout room while playing his guitar. He was pretending to be a rock star. "I'm the best!" Roxas chanted. Roxas grooved to the sound of his own guitar. He had managed to hook it up to some speakers so it was pulsing through the room. He did a 360 spin on the couch and landed on the ground. He slid on his knees and continued to strum his guitar vigorously.

"Did I pick the wrong time to come in for peace and quiet?" Olette asked angrily. She was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. Roxas turned pink and slowly nodded. He hadn't realized he had an audience. Olette laughed, "Maybe I'll find more peace in the living room. Oh, and you might want to work on your song…I don't think repeating you're the best is going to get you anywhere."

"Yeah, I guess not," Roxas laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He watched Olette leave the room. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He wasn't even so sure he wanted to get anywhere or that he could even get anywhere.

_A little blonde boy sat on the porch of a large house fingering a toy guitar. The boy smiled and jumped to his feet. "I'm going to be the best rock star and skater ever!" the boy exclaimed before pretending to rock out on his guitar. _

_"Roxas, are you up to it again?"_

_The boy was startled and fell down the porch steps. He ended up scraping his nose on the pavement. Roxas laughed nervously and quickly jumped to his feet. He hid the guitar behind his back. "Umm, no, I'm doing bible study like you told me too!" he lied._

_"Pretending to be a rock star isn't going to get you in the chapel!"_

_Roxas sighed and put his toy guitar down. "What if I don't want to be in the chapel? What if I want to be a rock star slash skater?" he mumbled._

Roxas narrowed his eyes. He was taken out his thoughts by an odd smell. Something smelled like…chocolate? He followed the smell to the kitchen and saw Selphie and Kairi sitting at the dining table. They were watching Sora take chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. "What!" he exclaimed as he hurriedly entered the kitchen.

Sora grinned. "You can have some too when their done cooling!" Sora announced happily, "I'm sure Kairi wouldn't mind, I made them for her and Selphie since they wanted some…why do you look so mad? I said you could have some, gosh Roxas!" Roxas grabbed Sora's arm and dragged him into the hallway to have a private conversation.

"What's your problem?" Sora asked as he stared at the fuming blonde with confused eyes. He thought cookies were supposed to make everyone happy. Why wasn't Roxas happy?

"You are baking cookies! That's why!" Roxas exclaimed angrily, "What are you? A girl?" Sora scratched his head. He still didn't understand why Roxas was angry. "Idiot! You're a guy! Guys don't bake cookies if they have any respect for themselves!" Roxas shouted. Sora knew how to frustrate him.

"Sora! Did you bake cookies?" Zidane asked excitedly.

"Yeah, they should be cooled off by now so you can go have some," Sora said with a goofy grin. Zidane ran into the kitchen. "Zidane always liked the cookies I made in my easy-bake oven when we were kids," he explained to Roxas.

Roxas's left eye twitched. _'Since when does a guy have an easy-bake oven?_' he thought. "You're not gay, are you?" Roxas asked cautiously.

Sora shook his head. "No…I like a girl, but I'm afraid to tell her…wait, why does it matter to you? And why do you think I'm gay?" Sora asked; he raised an eyebrow. Roxas sighed. Was it impossible to get through to Sora? "Well, I'm going to go eat some cookies see you, Rocks," Sora said cheerily as he walked back into the kitchen.

"My name is Roxas!" Roxas screamed as he watched Sora walk back into the kitchen. He suddenly felt hands wrap around his waist. He turned around and saw Naminé hugging him. He blushed. "Uh, hi to you too," he mumbled shyly.

Naminé giggled. "Oh Roxas, you're so cute when your embarrassed," she laughed as she ran her finger down his back caressingly. "Do you think you could help me with something? I figured you could do it since you're the strongest guy in the house," Naminé asked sweetly.

Roxas blushed. He liked being referred to as the strongest man in the house; it made him feel very, very masculine. "Sure Naminé, anything you need," he answered proudly.

Naminé flipped her hair and began to walk away. Roxas followed her like a lost puppy. She led him to the study room. "Can you move that big, bad bookshelf for little old me?" she asked in a cute voice.

"Sure," Roxas agreed. He walked toward the bookshelf and easily moved it to the location Naminé directed it toward.

"And that desk, and that, oh and that over there, and that, that, and that. And when you're done I'll show you the stuff in the other rooms you can move," Naminé said happily. She clapped her hands together and smiled sweetly. Roxas frowned; he had just fallen for one of Naminé's traps.

"Hey," Roxas pouted.

"No talking. Just move furniture so I can clean!" Naminé cried.

* * *

"Thank you for shopping at Dill mart," Riku grumbled as he handed another customer their bags. He sighed and leaned against the counter. He watched as all the other insolent customers shopped and chattered with those near them. Everyone here was so friendly, it slightly scared him. Well except for Paine…she was too friendly, Yuna was just mean, Garnet was anti-social (which he couldn't blame her for), and Fuu was just a bag of angry hormones. It always seemed to be her time of month.

Riku grabbed a magazine from the rack and started to flip through it. "Who cares if Jennifer broke up with Bill? I sure don't!" Riku exclaimed. His outburst ended up scaring some of the customers away. He suddenly heard chuckling coming from behind him. Riku was already irritated enough and now someone dared to laugh at him? "What?" he asked rudely. He turned around to lock with a pair of violet eyes.

"So you're the infamous Riku, eh?" Yuffie asked as she looked Riku over, "Mind if I check out here? Then again, I don't want to interrupt your rant session." Yuffie laughed as she walked around to the other side of the counter.

"Fine," Riku grumbled. He took the item she planned on purchasing and scanned it. "That'll be five munny," he grumbled again. Yuffie handed him what she owed and grabbed her bag.

"Thanks Riku. Oh, and if you want some customers…try not to scare them away," Yuffie joked. Riku watched her leave before returning to the magazine he had been reading.

"You know, the whole point is to welcome the customers not to scare them."

Riku looked up and saw Lulu staring at him. He sighed and nodded. "I know, but they annoy me," Riku grumbled, "Especially this vest…I just want to burn it in a bon fire…I wish I could throw Paine in there too."

Lulu laughed. "I see someone's still a little sore, but I'll help you if you really want to make a bon fire. I'll summon Axel the pyro and we can go around throwing happy things into the fire," Lulu suggested with a sly smirk.

Riku smirked. He liked that plan. He could take his anger out and burn everything. He looked up at Lulu with a mischievous glint in his eye. "And I know the perfect day to do it," Riku announced proudly.

"Really, what do you suggest?" Lulu asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later," Riku answered.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: What are Lulu and Riku planning exactly? And what day are they going to do it on? Oh and sorry it took me so long to get this out, I hadn't exactly planned this chapter that well so it took longer than expected! Sorry again! Well anyway have a nice day and thanks for reading this chapter I hope I didn't torment any of you because it didn't come out as early as it usually does. Oh and…_

**_OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I ALMOST HAVE FOUR HUNDRED REVIEWS _**

_Sorry had to get that out._


	23. Organization XIII

_A/N: Okay, did you know replying to reviews is banned? Yeah so I'm just going to try and get back to you if you have questions in my authors note all right? Sorry I haven't been replying lately there's just so much to do lately. But don't worry I'll answer questions if you have any. I'm a little sad now I just read a fic where Sora sacrificed himself but he did it the wrong way so now he's dead. So I'm sad right now I need to go in my corner and cry. Too bad I don't have a corner. So I'll just be writing this. Despite my feeling this shall be a cheerful update I promise!_

_Sora: **-Pats-** It's okay I'm not really dead see? I should make you some cookies_

_Kairi and Selphie: Can we have some?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts_

* * *

Twenty-Two: Organization XIII

The crisp, autumn air swept throughout the cafeteria causing all of the students inside to shiver. Of course, it was only those who didn't have a seating buddy or boyfriend/girlfriend to keep them warm. The situation differed for many. The emo kids; Lulu and Riku didn't care. The popular mean girls cared; of course, they had their popular boyfriends to attend them. Garnet was the exception; she had a winter jacket instead. Rikku, Aerith, Tifa, Naminé and Yuffie usually sat with Sora and the gang. They decided they liked hanging out with them. Hayner kept Olette warm and Pence kept his new girlfriend Melody warm. Hayner had set Pence up. Melody and Pence were perfect together. Whatever Pence lacked Melody had and vice versa. Roxas, Cloud, and Leon used their skateboards to keep them warm; nobody exactly knew how they pulled that off. Alice and Cinderella used their bitter hate for each other to keep themselves warm, and the other students were actually smart enough to bring a jacket.

Kairi sat in her usual seat next to Sora who was already busy critiquing the cafeteria food; it was one of his daily duties. Today would be his usual rant about how they use too much grease when making French fries. Kairi simply stared at Sora while eating her taco salad; she pretended to listen to every word Sora said, but she kept her mouth full so she wouldn't have to answer him if he asked a question.

Zidane suddenly banged his fist on the table scaring everyone. "Okay guys! What do you say we welcome Kairi?" he asked excitedly. Kairi blinked; she wondered what Zidane meant by that.

Selphie squealed. "That's a great idea, Zidane!" she exclaimed. She quickly pulled Zidane into a tight hug. Tidus cleared his throat as he looked away. Selphie laughed nervously and released the gasping boy.

"Welcome me to what?" Kairi asked.

Sora grinned. "Just the best group around, you get to be the last member," Sora explained.

"Welcome to Organization XIII," Zidane said as he smiled at Kairi.

Kairi blinked. Organization XIII? What the heck were they talking about now? This was stranger than the day Selphie started talking about whether Moogles could catch cancer, but Tidus simply reminded her cancer is something you acquire not catch, which led to an entire argument in Health class. She wondered what insanity this bunch could've possibly concocted now. "What is Organization XIII?" Kairi asked almost reluctantly.

"We're a group of nobodies. The most powerful nobodies in the school!" Rikku exclaimed proudly. She punched her fist into the air dramatically.

"Yeah, we are against Yuna, Fuu, Paine, and Garnet," Aerith explained, "Zidane and Selphie started this group in the eighth grade. Well, back then it was only called The Organization. But slowly they made friends and we all started this."

"You're member thirteen," Zidane stated. He handed Kairi the member list. "Just sign by your name. It states that you joined," Zidane instructed. Kairi glanced over the list to see who exactly was in Organization XIII.

**Zidane Tribal – The superior –** _Zidane Tribal_

**Selphie Tilmitt - II (Melodious Nocturne) –** _Selphie Tilmitt_

**Aerith Gainsborough – III (The Graceful Assassin) –** _Aerith Gainsborough_

**Tifa Lockhart – IV (The Cloaked Schemer) –** _Tifa Lockhart_

**Yuffie Kirisagi – V (Luna Diviner) –** _Yuffie Kirisagi_

**Rikku Kirisagi – VI (Freeshooter) –** _Rikku Kirisagi_

**Sora – VII (Whirlwind Lancer) - **_Sora_

**Roxas – VIII (The Key to Destiny) - **_Roxas_

**Lulu Hanashibi – IX (Chilly Academic) –** _Lulu Hanashibi_

**Riku – X (Silent Hero)** - _Riku_

**Naminé – XI (Savage Nymph) –** _Naminé_

**Tidus – XII (Gambler of Fate) -** _Tidus_

**Kairi – XIII (Flurry of the Dancing Flames) –** sign here

Kairi laughed. She found it humorous that each of her friends had their own little title, and as the list continued they only became more and more ridiculous. Still, she couldn't deny they had their own strange appeal. That's when she noticed something; she didn't have a last name. She smiled sadly; she truly was just a nobody. She supposed it all made sense now. She was supposed to belong to a group of nobodies. She was beginning to understand Rinoa's logic in sending her here.

"All right, I'm in!" Kairi exclaimed. She looked around for a pen and found one in Sora's shirt pocket. She snatched it away and quickly signed the sheet of paper.

Selphie squealed in delight. "Welcome to Organization XIII, Flurry of the Dancing Flames," Zidane announced with a grin on his face. He took the list from her and gazed at all the signatures.

Kairi stifled a laugh. "Good to be here…superior," she said; Kairi muttered the last word. Zidane rolled his eyes. Why was it when everyone joined they laughed at the fact that he called himself the superior. He thought it had a nice ring to it.

Sora grinned and hugged Kairi. "This is great! Now we're all in Organization XIII together!" he cried happily. He hugged Kairi for quite a while till he realized what he was doing. He blushed and quickly released her.

Selphie squealed again, but this wasn't a happy squeal. Something cold and slimy had just landed in her brunette bob. Tidus winced as he stared at the frozen worms in his girlfriend's hair. "Selphie…don't scream," he whispered as he slowly handed her a mirror. Selphie's eyes frightfully widened as she stared at the frozen worms in her hair. She quickly began to fan herself with her free hand to stop herself from screaming, but it was too late. Selphie screamed.

The entire cafeteria covered their ears praying that her screams would die down. "Selphie!" Tidus cried as he tried to comfort his girlfriend, "Calm down! We'll get them out!" Selphie screamed more as she watched them begin to thaw out and wiggle on her head.

Kairi uncovered her ears. She looked over at Yuna, Paine, Garnet, and Fuu's table. She glared at them. Sora could've sworn he saw fire ignite in her eyes. Kairi marched over to their table and soon found her shirt covered in worms. Yuna and Paine high-fived each other and continued laughing; it was all part of their grand plan. Garnet frowned at Yuna and Paine.

Riku angrily jumped to his feet, but Lulu pulled him back down. "You don't need to make a scene, Riku," she whispered before pointing toward Kairi. Riku could see the fire burning in her soul. He smirked. This would be interesting.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Fuu teased. She was still recovering from the injuries she had received on Halloween night.

"I suggest you shut up before I beat the crap out of you," Kairi threatened as she glared at the periwinkle-haired girl. Fuu bit her bottom lip and looked over at Paine who didn't look shaken at all.

Paine stood up and poked Kairi on her shoulder. "Look, we do what we want to do, so you better go back and sit down at your loser table and talk about your loser group! You're a nobody now, got it? That means nobody cares about you!" Paine shouted before shoving Kairi backward. Sora angrily jumped to his feet, but Rikku and Yuffie held him back.

_No one could ever love you_

Kairi growled and grabbed the collar of Paine's shirt lifting her off the ground. "Shut up!" she growled. Silence fell over the cafeteria. No one ever dared to talk to one of the popular girls like that. It was ground-breaking. "If you ever say that to me again, I will kill you!" she shouted before throwing Paine onto the lunch table.

There was something different about Kairi. Sora knew something was wrong with her. He wanted to comfort her. He watched as she growled and glared at the 'popular' group. Something was definitely bothering her, and it obviously had some kind of link to her past. He could tell because he could see the tears beginning to form in her eyes. He would find out; there was no way he was going to let her continue to hide this from him.

Paine whimpered as Kairi shouted her profanities. Mr. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy quickly ran over to Kairi and restrained her. As they pulled Kairi out of the cafeteria she screamed and cried still cursing Paine's existence.

Zidane and Selphie looked at each other. They were worried about Kairi; she could be suspended or sent far, far away for that kind of behavior. Tidus finally got the last worm out of Selphie's hair. He smirked; he had just gotten an evil idea. Tidus stood up and walked over to Yuna's table. "Here's a present from Organization XIII," he said casually before he tossed the wriggling worm into Yuna's food. She shrieked as Paine and Fuu glared at him as he walked away.

Rikku and Yuffie released the fuming Sora. Sora dashed out of the cafeteria beginning his frantic search for Kairi. He ran down the hallway looking around for the principal's office. He was soon distracted by the yelling coming from another hallway. "Kai-Kai!" he shouted as he searched for the auburn-haired girl. Instead of finding her, he bumped into Donald, Goofy, and Mickey.

"Where's Kai-Kai?" he asked urgently.

Donald crossed his arms. "We took her to the principal's office; don't you hear her fussing him out?" Donald asked rudely, "By the way you failed the test in my class."

"Aww man," Sora pouted. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to mope over low test scores. "Okay, thanks!" Sora exclaimed as he ran past the three and toward the principal's office. Somehow he was going to get Kairi out of trouble. He didn't want her to be sent away because of one mistake.

Principal Ansem watched Kairi bang her head on his desk. "Are you done, Ms. Kairi?" he asked. Kairi nodded. Ansem smiled. "That'll be all then, you can go back to the cafeteria and finish eating your lunch…just don't kill Ms. Paine," he stated.

Kairi smiled and nodded. "Thank you for understanding, principal," Kairi answered apologetically. Just then, Sora burst through the door babbling something too fast for Kairi or Ansem to understand. "Sora?" Kairi called questionably; she raised an eyebrow.

Sora grinned. "You're not angry anymore!" Sora exclaimed. He quickly lifted Kairi from her chair and ran out of the office. "Thank you, Principal Ansem!" he exclaimed again as he ran out of the office. Ansem shook his head; he would never understand teenagers.

As the weeks passed by Organization XIII began to hold regular meetings at the mansion in the hangout room. Somehow, they were going to dethrone the popular girls and prove that being a nobody was all right. Kairi had really lived up to her title. Ever since her outburst she seemed to be like fire, constantly angry. It was really worrying everyone.

Sora tried his best to comfort her, but she kept pushing him away. But the brunette wasn't about to give up on her. He was going to figure out her problem and he was going to help her to the best of his ability. Today, he was planning to make her some of his famous chocolate chip cookies. He would have her help him so they could spend some quality time together. After all, she seemed to like cooking more as the lessons went by.

Besides the Organization meetings and Kairi's problems, no one seemed to notice Thanksgiving would be coming up soon. Well, except for Sora. Sora couldn't wait to cook a thousand things; he had always cooked Thanksgiving dinner at his old orphanage. He always made the other kids so happy. He enjoyed seeing them happy at least one time in the year. After all, it was only one of the times in the year they actually got a full meal.

Sora knocked on Kairi's door only to hear her shout 'Go Away'. Sora rolled his eyes and let himself in already knowing something would be thrown at him. He was prepared to take the hit for Kairi. Once he stepped in the room Kairi threw herself at him. This was a surprise. Sora blushed and quickly looked away. "Kai-Kai?" he called nervously. The contact may have embarrassed him but he knew Kairi was dangerous. He still remembered the last time she beat him to a pulp; it was a hypothetical beating, of course.

"Sora," she cried tragically. Sora hugged her as he silently closed the door. He didn't want a repeat of the day after Halloween. After seeing Roxas's pictures he decided that he didn't ever want to be that embarrassed again.

"Yes?" Sora asked.

"You're going to always be there for me no matter how many times I push you away, right?" she asked as she stared at him with pleading eyes. Sora grinned as if to say 'Of course'. Kairi smiled sadly and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you, for being such a good friend," Kairi whispered.

"It's nothing. I'm always going to be there for you, just remember that okay. You can always come and talk to me," Sora whispered. Kairi nodded before wiping the tears from her eyes. She hated looking weak and vulnerable. "Well, anyways, I came in here to ask if you wanted to make some cookies with me," Sora stated; he thought it would be better to change the subject.

Kairi smiled. "Sure," she agreed. Sora grabbed her hand and led her toward the kitchen. He would show Roxas how straight he was. Ironically, Roxas happened to be walking upstairs the moment the same time they were coming down.

"Hi Roxas, we're going to go make cookies," Sora announced with a sly grin. Roxas was shocked. How could someone like him pick up a girl by asking her to bake cookies with him? What was the world coming to?

Roxas looked up at the sky as if talking to God; He pointed toward the ceiling. "I blame you for this," Roxas whispered.

Naminé sighed. Roxas was talking to the ceiling once again. She'd caught him doing that quite a bit the last few weeks. "Roxas, the least you could do is talk to the floor. At least people would think you would be talking to yourself," Naminé advised. Roxas blushed and shrugged. He quickly ran up the rest of the stairs. He didn't like being caught talking to himself or other inanimate objects.

* * *

Olette was still in a daze about what happened when she read her poem in front of the class. At least Hayner thought it was nice. Still, she didn't expect the other students to boo her poem. She had put so much concentration into it. Maybe if she had written hers with slang the other students might've liked it. Maybe if she had made it shorter?

Olette sighed and rolled over in her bed. She looked up at the gray sky through her window. "I miss the sun," she muttered before she flipped over to lay on her stomach. She buried her head in her pillow.

Maybe she should just switch out of that class. Perhaps she wasn't meant to write poetry or anything for that matter. She could always join photography with Pence. Maybe taking pictures was something she was better at. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try. She made a mental note to do that tomorrow. She would ask Mr. Xehanort for his opinion. Hopefully, he wouldn't turn her down. Besides he could understand that she had picked the wrong class.

_

* * *

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_A/N: Poor Olette having her dreams shattered. Maybe it is for the best for maybe it is for the worst? And we must all cheer on Kairi for standing up to Paine. Oh and about the organization thing. I was very entertained by that idea…lol in fact I love that idea! Anyway leave a review and I'll get back to you in the authors note._


	24. Problems

_A/N: Hi all! I am especially cheerful today! I've been listening to way too much Utada Hikaru. All that nice upbeat rhythm has totally infested my head. In other words the music has turned me into a happy un-rockified soul. Anyway here are the replies to your reviews!_

**Nexlei – Olette shall have her moment to shine so she won't be pitied…eventually. Lol. I really loved the organization idea. It literally came to me while I was sleeping. I kind of just woke up shouting 'Oh my god that's a great idea' I scared the crap out of my brother. **

**KawaiiNekoLover – Yeah I'm not that much for OC's I've never been good at making them. In a strange turn of events they always end up as Mary Sue's. Lol yeah I loved that title for Aerith because you know she likes flowers and Marluxia likes flowers. Lol yes that would be Vivi's last name it's okay I'm slow too. Oh don't you get your hopes down about Demmy-poo lol. **

**Absie1212 – Nope I figured that might be a little too common. Since one Ansem is already the counselor. Your welcome I enjoy a good story so update soon! **

**.fry – Lol I had to make a list of my characters, mentally because I didn't have any paper! It wasn't fun; lol just kidding everything is fun with this story. Lol Roxas is a goober isn't he? **

**Bored2Death – Yeah I think we all know how it is to be 'flamed'. I'm waiting for my first flame on this site…I know it will happen! Lol. **

**NeoseekerDarkKnight – Lol no I don't think they'd do graffiti well actually you never know about Lulu and Riku. Yeah I think we've all been boo'ed at one point. **

**mallory-arnold-sora's-lover – Yes I love baking cookies! Lol. No Kairi can control herself to a certain extent. She wouldn't go on a killing rampage. Or would she? Lol. **

**Chocoboluver108 – I don't know but until they start working again I'll just have to do this. Thanks and don't worry I will! **

**Mi167 – Lol you got to love the Roxas! Yeah the other students are mean…but at least they live up to their reputation. **

**CrystilizedHeart – Yeah it twas going to happen eventually lol. Go Kairi! No Kairi's not that graceful that's more of Aerith's deal. Kairi's more a rage type person. Thus fire! **

**Sorafanluver – Poor Olette and yeah that just came to me I had to put it in somewhere! **

**Kaiora93 – This is the update lol. **

**namine101 – Lol. And this is the update hooray!**

**darkwing13 – Lol yeah he has issues with that. Like in the beginning with the couch lol. **

**ImmortalBlueFlame – Yeah the behind the scenes Roxas could be coaching Kairi in anger lol. **

**GTA Guy – I hope she spills the beans soon to Sora eh? Well I already have a whole event planned out for that and let me tell you it shouldn't be any time soon! Lol. **

**Darkdude71 – Lol Sora had to rub it in. **

**Kyllex of Darkness – That's awesome. My friends and I don't have a club I wish we did. We just name ourselves after final fantasy and kingdom hearts characters by taking a personality quiz. Thus I am Kairi it isn't that after hearing it the first five hundred times, lol. **

**Tsuri Kato – Yeah it is bad for Olette to give up her dream. Thanks! Well I didn't really think about the entire Axel thing until many of you reviewers mentioned it that's a weird coincidence don't you think? **

**Asian-Cutie – I'm not good with poetry so I didn't put her writing in any chapters but I'll show the poem she wrote eventually. **

**angelofsweetness - It's okay everyone has their cursing moments lol. Yeah I did but I'm doing something different with this one. Oops I said too much. **

**Riku'sgirl9295 – Yeah I'm kind of like that too. I need to work on temper-management. Yippee a cookie! **

**Xonelel – Lol that'd be funny. Axel from the game just comes and starts lecturing Kairi about title stealing. He'll come back in so don't worry. **

**AznSnostuff – Thanks! **

**Jak4 – Yeah someone should huh? **

**hanyou-samurai – Lol me too. Sora makes cookies; I wish I could taste his cookies. **

**Diehard SxK fan – Wow that's a lot of kudos! Thanks and this is the update! Lol. Wow you stayed up pretty late though. **

**Imp4ever – Lol from the ground? Where else are worms…lol I can't see them digging in the ground for worms can you? **

**FaLlEn-AnGeL627 – This is the next chapter lol. **

**Kairi159 – Lol Roxas is weird like that. Thanks and same to you! **

**The Yuumei - I love Harvest Moon too! XD it's all right! **

**evilinupunk - Okay here's the description and thanks I can't wait to see it! Anyway Riku has his usual hairstyle and what not so don't worry about that. Over his large black t-shirt is his red vest that is two inches smaller than his shirt. On the left side of hisvest is the sewn in smiley face. On the right side vest is a pocket with a pen and a pencil inside. He has on baggy blue jeans that cover everything but the tips of his black vans that have gray shoelaces. I hope that's good. **

**Crona Tonic - Thanks XD **

**KairiPrincessofHeart - Lol I'll try and update faster next time. Your welcome I guess. **

**bertie reads heaps - Yeah if only things were released faster. They just love and make you wait! Lol. I'll try not to put in too many spoilers after all it is AU so it shouldn't be so bad. **

_Wow that's about three pages of reviews! Regardless I still answered them now didn't I? Lol. Anyway on with the chapter!_

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Chapter Twenty-Three: Problems

Kairi handed Sora two eggs absent-mindedly. Her mind was still caught up in her past. She couldn't stop repeating the flashbacks of the fateful day her world flipped upside down. She watched blankly as Sora began to ball up the cookie dough into small portions. "Hey, Sora," Kairi murmured.

"Hmm?" Sora responded. He accidentally wiped some flour on his face. He wasn't exactly the cleanest chef. "Something wrong, Kai-Kai?" Sora asked curiously.

Kairi shook her head. "No…it's just that I…I'm really happy to have you as a friend," Kairi answered honestly; she smiled at him. He grinned sadly; Kairi didn't seem to notice though.

_'So I'm just a friend then? I guess maybe I shouldn't like her in that way then. I'll just have to always be there for her,' _Sora thought sadly.

Kairi took some cookie dough from Sora and began to perform the same actions Sora was doing. She felt a little useless just standing beside him and watching. Sora smirked and flicked some flour into Kairi's hair. He laughed as he watched her scowl at him. "You think that's funny, huh? Well, how about this?" she asked threateningly. Kairi quickly flicked flour into his mouth.

Sora coughed and violently shook his head. "That's not funny, Kai-Kai," he choked as his eyes got watery. Kairi blinked; she wondered what was wrong with him. It couldn't be the flour? Sora swallowed hard but still felt the irritation in the back of his throat. "It's really itchy," Sora whined as he scratched the outside of his neck.

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a whiner," she muttered as she patted his spiky head. Sora rolled his eyes playfully. Kairi smiled and went back to making the cookie formations. Sora sighed quietly and joined her.

A few minutes later Sora put their cookies in the oven. Kairi slumped down into a chair and let out a sigh; she felt like going to sleep. Sora pulled himself onto the counter and sat there. He began mindlessly flipping through a cookbook. It was one of the only types of books he would actually read.

* * *

Selphie banged her head on the kitchen table. In front of her were her algebra book, a blank sheet of paper, and a number two pencil. She whined and let out an exasperated growl. Why did homework have to be so hard? Why couldn't it be easy and only require little thought? "I'll never get to visit Kairi," she pouted as she miserably lifted her head from the table.

Zidane huffed in aggravation. "Why did you even call me over to help you if all you're going to do is whine about how hard the homework is?" Zidane asked as he impatiently tapped his fingers on the table.

Selphie smiled sweetly. "Because you're my friend and you want to help me," she replied with an innocent look. She batted her eyelashes. "Now could you help me with question one?" she asked cutely.

Zidane's jaw dropped. "You haven't even gotten past the first question!" he exclaimed loudly. He knew math wasn't exactly Selphie's best subject, but he had expected her to get past the first question. After all, it was just factoring. "You're lucky I'm a nice person," Zidane grunted in defeat.

"Yes I am!" Sephie squealed happily.

* * *

Vivi screamed and quickly retreated into the bathroom; he locked the door behind him. Baku rolled his eyes. "Aww, come on Vivi, it's just a little wash for your hat!" he exclaimed as he knocked on the door. Each knock seemed to nearly break through the wood. He was a hefty, tall man with a large, round belly. Today these features were accented by his pink apron and matching scarf tied around his head. It was cleaning day in the Tribal household.

"No!" Vivi cried from the other side of the door.

"But your hat is full of germs and it needs to be washed," Baku grumbled. He was also wearing a pair of yellow, rubber gloves for sanitation. Every year Vivi managed to have his hat escape the wash day, but today Baku was determined to win. Vivi couldn't hide and run away forever.

"No it doesn't!" Vivi cried again.

Baku let out an aggravated sigh. He turned and walked down the hallway to another door. "Blank!" Baku shouted angrily. He kicked open the door to reveal a guy with a headband over his eyes, red hair, and dirty clothing. Blank looked up at Baku lazily. "Get Vivi out of the bathroom," Baku ordered.

"Whatever," Blank muttered. He ambled out of his room and down the hallway to the bathroom door. He simply twisted the doorknob and kicked open the door. "There," he muttered again before turning and returning to his bedroom.

Baku quickly rushed inside and began to try and take the hat from Vivi. Vivi screamed as Baku tried to pull his hat off of his head. "No! No! No!" he cried as he held onto his hat.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Baku shouted.

* * *

Riku sighed; he was sitting in his dark, lonely room. He was always lonely and he always would be. He had decided this for himself. No matter the amount of 'friends' he had no one could ever replace _her_…or _them_. He rolled over on his bed and stared at the wall. As much as he had strained to see anything around him he couldn't, because he had closed the blinds on his window and the shutters. It was completely black.

He wanted to be in the dark. He felt he could truly be himself there. This was one of the reasons he hated the bright aquamarine that were his eyes. He thought they'd be more fitting if they were a dark grey or something. She had always loved the color of his eyes. He groaned and buried his face in his pillow. Maybe he could suffocate himself and leave this world, just like she did.

_"N-No you'll live…it's just a small flesh wound."_

_A frail, blonde girl was lying in a hospital bed. She smiled at the albino haired boy that was holding her hand. She had already been hooked up to all kinds of machines. This along with all the bandages on her body was enough to be considered serious. "You call getting stabbed in your chest a flesh wound?" she laughed but she quickly coughed afterward. _

_He smiled sadly. "Don't strain yourself," he cooed gently. _

_"Riku, let's face it…it's my time to go," she answered almost regretfully. _

_Riku shook his head. "I don't want you to go!" he exclaimed; he clung to her desperately, "You're the only one that ever loved me…if you leave I'll be alone forever. Don't leave me, Ashe."_

_Ashe smiled and held Riku's hand. She took a deep breath because she was suddenly finding it harder to breathe. "R-Riku," she whispered. _

_Riku stared at her with frightened eyes. She couldn't die…he wouldn't let it happen. "Ashe, hold on!" he exclaimed as he tightened his grip on her hand, "You'll survive!" Tears began to pour from his eyes blurring his vision. _

_Ashe gasped for air, but continued to smile throughout the ordeal. "You have l-lovely eyes Riku," she whispered before closing her own. Her grip disappeared and her hand gently fell from Riku's grasp._

_"Ashe!" he exclaimed as he shook her shoulders, "Wake up!"_

"Wake up!"

Riku slowly opened his eyes to lock with the purple ones staring at him so intensely. "Kairi?" Riku murmured. Kairi nodded with a small smile on her face. "What are you doing in here?" he asked curiously. It was strange that Kairi should visit his room; she never did.

"Well, I came into your room to ask if you wanted any cookies, but I heard you shouting in your sleep…so I woke you up," Kairi explained, "What were you dreaming about anyway?" Riku was silent. He would rather not talk about her. Kairi smiled. "I understand…" she whispered.

Riku raised an eyebrow. How could Kairi possibly understand what he hadn't told her? "Understand, what?" he asked.

"You lost someone important to you," Kairi mumbled as she stared at the ceiling, "I know how you feel…I lost someone close to me too. But I know that wherever she is…she's watching over me."

The albino haired boy smiled for a flash second. He sat up on his bed. "I know now too," Riku mumbled. Kairi smiled and gave Riku a hug. Riku was surprised. He hadn't been expecting that. He heard a small whimper come from outside in the hallway. His eyes darted to the doorway where he caught a glimpse of Sora turning and running down the hallway.

Kairi smiled. "Well, I'll see you later, Riku," she said. She released Riku and quickly exited his room. Riku sighed. He was debating on whether he should go find Sora or sit and mope in his room. He decided he would step out of the situation. It was better for him not to meddle in Kairi and Sora's affairs.

Sora was seated in the kitchen eating one of the cookie's Kairi and him made. But he wasn't eating happily. He was eating out of his anger. He turned around and placed a cookie on the counter and smashed it with his fist.

"Hey!" Kairi cried in shock.

Sora looked up through his fierce, cerulean eyes to see Kairi standing in the doorway. "We worked hard on those cookies! Stop destroying them!" Kairi exclaimed as she ran over to him. She stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Whatever," Sora grumbled before he quickly walked to the other side of the kitchen. Kairi frowned. Why was Sora acting this way? She followed Sora and tapped his shoulder only to be ignored.

"Sora, what's wrong?" Kairi asked worriedly.

The brunette turned around; for the first time since Kairi had met him she saw a sad look on his face. "So-," Kairi began, but she was interrupted by the abrupt, tight hug Sora pulled her into. Kairi was shocked. Why was Sora hugging her this way? She looked up at him only to see his tears. "Sora?" she called quietly.

Sora quickly released her. "I'm sorry," he mumbled before running out of the kitchen. Kairi stood quietly in awe. She could still feel his arms around her waist. She took a step forward but stopped herself. It would be wrong to chase after someone who wanted to get away.

* * *

Roxas was at the skateboard park in the Third District practicing his cool moves. Naminé had told him to get out of the house, because he was going to break something. She didn't even want him messing up the front yard. Roxas breathed in the fresh air as he skated around the skate park. He completed a 360 spin and landed safely on the ground. Roxas smirked. He heard laughter from behind him; he turned to the source and saw none other than Seifer.

"Well, if it isn't red ranger," Roxas teased as he continued to smirk. He couldn't help but remember the incident at the Halloween Dance. He had already proven his dominance over Seifer; he didn't feel the need to argue with the boy anymore. Seifer growled and crossed his arms.

"I already told you! My mom forced me into it," Seifer grumbled as he played with the rock in his hand. "Rocks for Rocks-is!" Seifer cried before he hurled the rock toward Roxas's head.

It was a direct hit. Roxas let out a low growl and rubbed the injured spot on his head. "I bet your no good on your board," Roxas snarled as he studied the skateboard Seifer was holding. Seifer smirked and jumped onto his board; he quickly entered the half-pipe. Roxas watched as Seifer pulled off amazing skate tricks.

Roxas sighed. He was beat at something he thought was his calling. He picked up his skateboard as Seifer skated toward him. "Whatever!" Roxas shouted before he ran away.

"Figures…I knew practice would make perfect," he laughed as he stared at the hologram disc in his hand. "Cheating practice that is," he laughed again.

* * *

Tidus watched his Blitzball game on the television. "Go Wakka! Come on, you can do it!" he shouted. Wakka was his favorite player. If he ever got the chance to meet him he wouldn't ever shoot it down, not for anything. It was his dream to stand next to his favorite player. He cheered as Wakka made a score. His team had just won the championship. And what made him even happier was that Zidane now owed him munny.

The blonde boy turned off the television and stood up. "What should I do now?" he asked as he stared at the ceiling. Olette popped her head into the living room. He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Ole?" Tidus asked curiously. He usually didn't address Olette with a nickname, but he thought it sounded cute. He was sure Selphie would spread it around once he told her about it.

Olette bit her bottom lip. "Tidus, I think there's something wrong," she announced as she took a step into the living room. Tidus continued to stare at Olette with questioning eyes; he was curious as to what she had to say. In the mansion things were always going wrong so he couldn't help but wonder what was so wrong that Olette had dared to leave her room. "I think there's something wrong with Sora…" Olette began quietly.

"Really? What leads you to this conclusion?" Tidus inquired. Sora was usually so happy; it was hard for Tidus to believe something was wrong with him.

"He's locked himself in his room…and he keeps shouting at me," Olette mumbled honestly. Tidus nodded. "I was wondering if you would help me unlock the door to his room," she requested.

"Okay, let's go," Tidus agreed.

Sora was curled into fetal position underneath his covers. He didn't want to be bothered or spoken to. Right now, he just needed time to think things over. The brunette boy was so confused. Of course, he had every right to be. What would anyone else think if they saw Kairi hugging Riku in his room? Especially if they had the feelings Sora felt for her. Sora whimpered as he continued to bury his head in his sheets. Maybe he could just stay here forever and never have to worry about anything again? Sora couldn't help but think that maybe he was overreacting. Still, he couldn't help himself. The sight he saw wouldn't be erased from his mind. He knew he couldn't do anything about whether Kairi liked Riku or not. It was her decision, not his.

_Knock, Knock_

"Go away!" Sora whined.

"Okay, I'm coming in then!"

Sora's eyes widened. He had locked the door, how could this person come inside? He heard his door open and shut. Sora covered his face with his hands as he felt his protective covers being ripped off of him.

Tidus stared down at him. "Wow, you can curl up into a perfect ball!" Tidus exclaimed; he plopped down next to Sora. "So, what's the issue Sora? You don't usually act this way…why are you so down?" Tidus asked. This time his voice was more concerned rather than excited.

Sora sat up in his bed. Instead of looking to Tidus he looked to his bare feet. "I'd rather not say," he mumbled. Tidus pulled on Sora's ear making him whine in pain. He would get Sora to talk whether he liked it or not. "Okay, Okay!" Sora cried. Tidus let go of his ear triumphantly. Sora mumbled, "…It's Kairi."

"Kairi, eh?" Tidus repeated.

The brunette nodded. "I saw her hugging Riku in his bedroom…so that means she likes him, right?" Sora asked; he wasn't sure he wanted to hear Tidus's reply. Tidus began to laugh. Sora blinked out of confusion. "Hey! Why are you laughing at me?" he demanded with a frown.

Tidus grinned and patted Sora's brown head. "Look, Kairi doesn't like Riku and Riku doesn't like Kairi…and besides why do you care? Do you like Kairi?" Tidus asked with a sly smirk. He knew he'd pinned the tail on the donkey. Sora blushed and nodded. "Well, if you want Kairi I'll send her in here!" Tidus exclaimed.

"Wait, no!" Sora cried in horror. But it was too late; Tidus was already out the room and in Kairi's room. Sora watched as Kairi was pushed into his room; she looked hesitant. Tidus quickly closed the door and secluded the two away from the rest of the mansion. Kairi waved nervously toward Sora before gazing down at the floorboards. "Hi, Kai-Kai," Sora murmured.

Kairi sat on the bed next to Sora. Her gaze was still directed toward the ground. "Are you still mad at me?" she asked as she twiddled her fingers. Sora blinked. Kairi thought he was mad at her? He wasn't mad at her…was he? He shook his head.

"I was just thinking about all the mean things that Fuu did to me when I was younger…I guess I just took my anger and frustration out on you," Sora lied as he stared at the wooden floor. He still didn't feel ready enough to confess his feelings. Kairi smiled and rubbed Sora's back.

"Well, it's over now," Kairi answered encouragingly.

"Yeah, it is," Sora breathed; he felt terrible for lying to her.

* * *

_A/N: Sora got a little jealous. Okay maybe a little is an understatement. Lol. You can't blame him though he's just way too overprotective for his own good. And poor Riku…though who's this Ashe person? Seifer defeated Roxas, or so he thought. And where is Naminé in all of this? Anyway sorry for taking so long to update, I was having a little difficulty._


	25. Love

_A/N: Okay I'm going to have fun with this chapter. Not to mention I'm surprisingly hyper today. Oh boy, skip the author's note and lets get writing! By the way I have just discovered the wonderful joy of burning Donald's tail. I'll never forget that it was funny because it wiped out his HP!_

_Donald: -clears throat-_

_Me: Heh heh I didn't do it on purpose…bye! –Runs away-_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. You'd think after saying this the first five times I'd stop. Lol._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four: Love

Kairi smiled. "Sora, you know what," Kairi began. Sora looked over at her hoping he wasn't about to be beaten to the ground. The way she was speaking slightly scared him. "You're the nicest guy I've ever met!" Kairi exclaimed happily. Sora was shocked and not just because of the compliment but she was hugging him…and her face was getting closer…and closer. "Thank you," she whispered before she kissed him on the cheek. Sora turned bloodshot red.

**Kairi was kissing _him _**

Kairi is kissing** me **

_It is **me** whom Kairi is kissing_

_The cheek that belongs to **me,** Kairi is kissing_

**_Me_, Me, Me! **

Sora started giggling uncontrollably. Kairi inched away and watched the strange scene. What was wrong with Sora? Sora jumped up and ran around the room like a crazy person; his giggles echoed throughout the room nonstop. His giggles soon turned into hiccups and between those hiccups he laughed. The brunette was starting to scare her.

Sora ran over to Kairi with a slightly creepy grin on his face. Kairi smiled nervously at him while her eyes were staring hopefully toward the door a.k.a her escape. "Sora, I'm going to leave now," she mumbled as she stood up, but she wasn't going anywhere. Sora quickly tackled her to the ground. She yelped and stared into his excited, cerulean eyes. She made a mental note to never kiss him again and to warn others not to kiss him. He'd lost his mind.

"I love you Kairi!" Sora shouted happily. Kairi's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak but Sora stopped her by kissing her hard on her lips. Kairi was now even more shocked; she couldn't believe this. Sora loved her…and now he was having a one-way make-out with her? What was she supposed to do?

Kairi suddenly felt strange; she felt a build-up in her chest. She felt the sudden urge to return Sora's kiss. Her heart fluttered. Kairi wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him back. Now she was officially confused with herself, but she didn't stop. There, on the wooden floor, Little Kairi and Crazy Sora experienced their first kiss ever.

Selphie and Zidane burst through the door. "Sora! Kairi! Guess what we-what the heck!" they both shouted in unison. Their eyes were practically popping out of their heads. Sora's eyes slowly opened and nearly fell out of his head. He was kissing Kairi and she was kissing him…back?

**_They_ were kissing each other **

**_Sora_ and _Kairi _were kissing **

**_I _am kissing Kairi**

We are **kissing** together

_Wait let's not go there again…_

Sora instantly pulled away and jumped to his feet. He laughed nervously. Zidane smirked from the sight of Sora's flustered face. "Sora got game?" he asked playfully. Sora giggled happily but quickly covered his mouth. Kairi sat up and touched her lips in disbelief. Sora looked over at her and bit his bottom lip; he didn't know what to expect.

"Kairi and Sora sitting in a tree!" Selphie sang. Kairi stood up but Sora pushed her down. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit lately. Kairi yelped as she hit the hard, wooden floor.

"Sorryuhhbyewhatahohno!" Sora blurted out all at once. He giggled again and quickly ran out of the room. Selphie and Zidane watched Sora run to the middle of the hallway. He suddenly stopped and fainted; he hit the floor with a very loud 'thud'.

Zidane shook his head. "Sora doesn't got game," he laughed before he walked over to his lovesick friend. Zidane sighed and lifted Sora from the ground. He slung Sora over his shoulder.

Selphie grinned. "Too bad we didn't get it on video," Selphie sighed.

"Oh, but we did!" Olette exclaimed almost too eagerly. She pointed to Tidus who was armed with a video camera. Kairi's face flushed.

Tidus grinned. "Miss 'Kai-Kai' your little kiss is so going to be broadcasted on the living room television!" he exclaimed before he escaped down the hallway. He stopped once he reached Zidane. "Oh, and wake Sora up. I want him to see this," Tidus instructed. Zidane nodded and then dropped the brunette on the floor. Sora woke up.

Sora rubbed his head. "What?" he asked as he stared at Zidane.

"We're going to go watch your make-out session with Kairi on the television downstairs," Zidane explained as he helped Sora to his feet, "But I have a few people to invite first."

* * *

Naminé had watched the Seifer and Roxas event and also the after story. She couldn't believe Seifer cheated. She frowned. "Now my work is ruined…I was going to draw Roxas skateboarding," she lamented as she stared at the sky. The only reason she followed Roxas to the skateboard park was so she could draw him in action. Now her chances were ruined.

"You could always draw me."

She turned around and saw Seifer staring at her. She crossed her arms and turned back around. "I don't draw cheaters," she grumbled before she stood up and began to walk away. Seifer grabbed her arm. "Hey! Let me go!" she shouted; Naminé accidentally dropped her sketchbook in the process. "You icky, icky person! At least use hand sanitizer before you touch people!" Naminé cried in horror.

Seifer smirked as he cupped her chin. Naminé only glared defiantly. "You're not going anywhere, cutie," he replied smoothly.

"Okay…but there's something on your pants," Naminé replied with a smile. Seifer looked down curiously and Naminé kicked him hard in his tender area. Seifer released his grip from Naminé and screamed in pain. "Take that!" she shouted; she quickly grabbed her sketchbook and ran away as fast as she could. Seifer chased after her wincing with every step he took. He would get her for that.

The blonde girl turned the corner and hid against the wall; she breathed deeply. Her blue eyes scanned the area searching for a better hiding spot, but instead she found Roxas. "Roxas!" she cried as she ran toward him. Roxas turned to see Naminé quickly approaching him with Seifer not too far behind her.

Roxas stood up from the bench he had claimed as his. "Naminé, what's wrong?" he asked as he studied the distraught girl. She didn't look harmed. She only pointed to Seifer who was running like there was something wrong with his area.

"He's hitting on me!" Naminé whined, "And then he grabbed my arm with his icky, icky hands!" Roxas glared at Seifer; he gently pushed Naminé behind him.

"I'm going to kill her! She might have disabled me from ever being able to reproduce!" Seifer screamed; this caught everyone's attention. Roxas laughed and pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. Seifer glared. "At least I'll still be a better boarder than you," Seifer said with a satisfied smirk.

Roxas looked at his feet. Naminé walked over to Seifer and slapped him. "Stop lying, you liar! You cheated with that hologram of yours!" she shouted. She quickly pulled the hologram disc out of his pocket to show Roxas her proof.

"You cheater!" Roxas shouted angrily. Roxas growled and shoved Seifer to the ground. He was about to step on his face and jump on his stomach when his butt vibrated. In other words, someone was calling him. He pulled out his phone and heard Zidane on the other line.

_Hurry up and get to the mansion! We've got this video everybody needs to watch! So hurry, bye!_

Roxas hung up and looked down at Seifer. "I've got somewhere to be…we'll finish this later," he said. He still smashed Seifer's face with the sole of his shoe anyway. "Come on, Naminé!" he exclaimed. He gently grabbed her hand and the two ran toward the mansion.

* * *

Almost everyone was huddled up in the living room. Tidus was putting the tape in the VCR. Sora was quaking in his big, yellow shoes. Kairi was staring off into the distance; Sora's confession was still repeating in her head. Selphie was having another paper conversation with her mom who had come because Selphie had invited her. Selphie's dog was peeing on the carpet. Vivi was happily eating his popcorn; he occasionally glanced at Sora wondering if his feet were actually that big. Baku was sitting on the couch belching his ABC's. Blank was covering his ears and grumbling on about how disgusting Baku was being. Olette was eagerly waiting for the movie to start. Zidane was teasing Sora. Riku was wondering why he was even there. Lulu stared at Riku as he wondered. Yuffie and Rikku were playing patty cake. Tifa was helping Tidus with the VCR. Aerith was talking with Cloud. Leon was doing skateboard tricks on the coffee table. Hayner was imagining Olette in a bikini. Pence was watching Selphie's dog pee. Melody was lecturing Pence on privacy. But in general they were all waiting.

Roxas and Naminé walked into the living room; they were both surprised to see everyone there. "Wow, this must be big," Roxas whispered. Naminé nodded. The two took a seat on the floor.

Tidus smirked. "Now that everybody is here we shall start!" he exclaimed making everyone cheer, even though, they had no idea what they were cheering for. Tidus clicked play. He and Tifa quickly took a seat on the floor.

Everybody's eyes widened as they watched the Sora and Kairi tape. Sora put his hands on his face. His life was ruined, ruined! He looked over at Kairi and saw her turn crimson and cover her eyes; she continued to watch through the cracks between her fingers. He suddenly felt guilt sweep over him. Not only was his life ruined, but Kairi's as well.

The movie ended and Tidus took the tape out. "So, what did everyone think?" he asked; he smirked at Kairi and Sora.

Baku removed his hands from Vivi's eyes. Vivi pouted. "I didn't get to see anything!" he whined as he crossed his arms.

Everyone reverted their attention to Sora and Kairi; each person had their own questions. Sora jumped up in front of the room; he made sure to pull Kairi up with him. "I can explain!" he exclaimed. Kairi looked at him like he was crazy. He nudged her. "See, we knew Tidus was taping us so we gave him a show," Sora lied.

Kairi blinked. "We-I mean, yes, that's exactly it," she said with a fake smile, "Did you all enjoy our act?" Riku didn't believe a word they said. He wasn't a fool; he'd just have to confront them both later.

The 'crowd' boo'ed before evacuating their mansion. The ones that actually lived there remained, though. Ms. Tillmit and Selphie stopped at the front door. "Oh, and you darlings are all invited to tomorrow's Thanksgiving Dinner…it's been just the Tillmit's and Tribal's for too long…so we would like to invite you," she said. She grabbed Sora's ear and whispered into it. "Bring some baked goods so none of us have to eat Baku's food," she requested. Sora nodded. The Tillmitt women giggled in response and quickly skipped out the door.

"Talk about twin telepathy," Roxas said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "That was just creepy."

"Says 'The Key to Destiny'," Riku snickered.

"Shut up, aren't you supposed to be silent? 'Silent Hero'?" Roxas taunted; he crossed his arms in triumph. Riku glared at him causing Roxas to take a step backward. "Not that I'm insulting you…I'll be in my room!" Roxas exclaimed as he quickly retreated.

Sora rubbed his hands together and grabbed Kairi's arm. "To the kitchen!" he cried as he pulled Kairi into the hallway. He pretended to be a super chef from his favorite manga.

Olette giggled. "They are such terrible liars," she said as she stared at Tidus; he was still grinning evilly about the entire event. "And I suppose it's our job to be matchmakers, Tidy-Widy?" she teased.

"Don't make me call you Ole…oops, already did. But yeah, I guess…I just hope Kairi doesn't murder us," Tidus said. Olette smiled and scratched her head. This was going to be a long Thanksgiving vacation.

Sora had pulled out every food item from the cabinets, pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. "Okay, what should we make, Kai-Kai?" Sora asked; he gave her one of his cheesy grins. Kairi was once again staring off into space; she seemed to do that often today. Sora raised an eyebrow. He waved his hand in front of Kairi's face. "Kai-Kai!" he shouted.

"Oh…I'm sorry," she apologized; she smiled halfheartedly. Sora nodded and looked back at all the food. Kairi bit her lip. She couldn't pretend this didn't happen. "Sora?" Kairi called nervously. The brunette looked at her. "About in your room…" she began.

"I'm really sorry!" Sora blurted out. Kairi laughed which caused Sora to feel even more embarrassed. "Kairi I didn't…well I-," Sora tried to explain. Kairi put her hand over his mouth.

"You're going to make the others come and see what's wrong so hush," she whispered as she tried to subdue her laughter. Sora blushed and nodded. Kairi removed her hand and smiled. "I know you don't really love me. That was just in the moment, right?" Kairi asked.

Sora shook his head. "No, it's true," he confessed; he whispered the word 'true'. Kairi's jaw dropped. Sora laughed nervously, "I was hoping for a different reaction…but at least I got something else other than a spaced out Kairi."

"Sora! You can't love me!" she shouted. She shouted so loudly Sora practically jumped out of his skin. She sighed. "You can't love me," she repeated in a much calmer tone. The auburn haired girl shook her head. "No…" she continued sadly.

"But Kairi, I can't help it," Sora whined. Kairi stomped her foot down and turned away. Sora sighed. "How about we get off of the subject?" Sora suggested.

"I can't get off of the subject!" she shouted back.

* * *

Riku, Olette, Tidus, Roxas, and Naminé had their ears to the floor. They were listening from Naminé's room, which was right above the kitchen. Things weren't sounding too good down there. Yet, they couldn't help themselves. Even Riku's interest had been sparked.

"Poor Sora," Naminé whispered; she felt sorry for the brunette. He was getting his heart broken by all the mean things Kairi was saying to him.

Tidus frowned. What was Kairi tripping over? So what Sora was in love with her? She didn't have to make such a big deal about it, or perhaps it was such a big deal for her?

Riku sighed. "Someone has been hiding something about her past," he muttered to himself. It was fairly obvious that it wasn't just Sora bugging her…that was natural. Something else must be nagging at her conscience and he would find out what it was.

Roxas couldn't help but feel a little bad. This was worse than the Seifer issue he was currently facing. Kairi was even talking about just not being friends at all. How did it all happen?

Kairi's rant was over and now it was Sora's turn to speak. Of course, his didn't really include yelling. His consisted of small whispers and whimpers that the five could barely make out. It was clear that Sora's heart was broken into tiny, tiny unfixable shards. They did, on the other hand, hear Sora's last words.

_"Fine…if you don't ever want to see my face again…you won't."_

The five heard steps coming up the stairs. They all popped their heads out into the hallway to catch a glimpse of Sora walking up the second staircase. They heard a loud slam come from the third floor; it was obviously Sora slamming his door. Riku narrowed his eyes. "I'll go talk to her," he grumbled; he quickly left the room and disappeared down the staircase.

Roxas pulled out his cell phone; he thought that Zidane needed to be called. "Hey Zidane, can you get over here? Why? Don't ask why! Sora needs you! No, he isn't turning gay, what the heck? What do mean Vivi's trying to shave your legs…what your tail? Baku's fumigating the house so you'll have to bring him too? Blank's dead on the floor! Call an ambulance, man! Wow, his cooking is bad…wait! Just come over, okay, bye." He hung up and returned the phone to his back pocket.

"I hope Sora's all right," Naminé murmured as she began pacing around her room.

"I would write a poem about this, but I'm in photography now…and taking a picture would just be inhumane," Olette mumbled as she stared down at her feet.

* * *

Riku stared at Kairi as she stared at the kitchen floor blankly. "You know, you broke his heart," Riku said as he studied the magnets on the refrigerator. Kairi looked up at Riku and shook her head.

"He deserved it," she whispered.

"For what, saying he loved you? That doesn't sound mean to me," Riku joked sarcastically.

"Everything is a joke Riku, nobody loves me…nobody," Kairi explained weakly. Kairi's eyes suddenly had a dark, icy look to them. "Just like he said…nobody could ever love me. I'm just a mistake…a big, wrong mistake," she hissed through gritted teeth. Kairi slammed her fist on one of the cabinets.

Riku sighed; his aquamarine eyes watched her every move. "This has happened more than once, hasn't it?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

Kairi nodded as she fought the tears that threatened to pour down her face. "He broke my heart…and it's never going to be fixed!" she shouted, "He lied to me…he deceived me…he was a-."

The albino haired teen quickly covered her mouth. "No need for profanity," he stated. Kairi held her head down. "Sora wouldn't do that to you and you know that," Riku added.

"Do I?" Kairi asked.

"You better or else I'll smack it into your head," Riku threatened. Kairi chuckled but continued to stare at the tiled floor. "Just tell me what happened," Riku requested. It was time to return Kairi's sweetness.

Kairi looked back up the ceiling. "My father's name was Seiko…he killed my mom Chihiro and left me to die on the street…and I ended up getting ran over by Rinoa's car. She rushed me to the hospital and I survived by dumb luck. After my recovery, my father showed up at the hospital to pick me up. He told them a bogus lie that my mom…" Kairi explained as she started to silently cry, "Tried to kill me…and that she was the one who bashed me up on the concrete and left me to die…and that he had been locked away in a closet."

"And you didn't speak up for yourself?" Riku asked curiously.

She shook her head. "I knew better than that…if I were to say anything he would've banged me up a home…but it didn't matter, he did it anyway. Every time he came home from work. He played mind games with me…he confused me…he made it seem like I was the dirt he walked on…that I was so low I shouldn't be seen by other people. So he kept me at home…and I didn't leave the house for two years until someone finally rescued me," Kairi continued.

"Who rescued you?" Riku asked again. He felt asking questions would show Kairi he was attentively listening.

"A boy from an orphanage. He snuck into my room one night…and I guess he saw the many blood stains all over the place and decided to help me. It was my father's fault for never cleaning up," Kairi answered.

"Yeah, but who is he?"

"I don't know, I didn't get a good look at him…all I remember is he had red pants…I passed out after he snuck into my window. The next morning, I woke up in a hospital with Rinoa beside me telling me everything would be okay," Kairi finished.

Riku was silent. "So, did they arrest your father?" he asked; he couldn't help but wonder if an awful man like that was taken to jail.

Kairi shook her head. "He's still out there somewhere. It's very reassuring," she joked, "Any night he could just pop into my room and kidnap me…and he'd probably kill me." She bit her lip and sighed. "But it doesn't matter…I don't have anything to live for anyway," she whispered.

"Of course you do. You have us, your dysfunctional family…and Sora," Riku encouraged.

She shook her head again. "No…I pushed him away when he tried to reach out to me. I wouldn't blame him if he never spoke to me again," she answered sadly, "I can't help it though. Love scares me."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much. Everything will fall into place, it may not be the way you want it, but it will because it's a simple word called destiny," Riku assured.

Kairi laughed, "I don't believe in destiny."

"What do you believe in?"

"Nothing," Kairi stated morosely.

* * *

Sora cried, "In a sense, she pretty much stuck her hand in my chest and ripped out my heart, threw it on the ground, stepped all over it, spit on it, and then threw it in the trash!" Vivi screamed and hid behind Zidane. Sora's angst was scaring him.

Zidane smiled at his friend. He sat on the bed next to the brunette and sighed. "Don't worry Sora, I'll help you win her back!" he exclaimed with a grin. He did his signature gesture; this consisted of him hitting his chest with his fist in a salute like manner. It signified his loyalty.

Sora growled and buried his face in his pillow. "I skever bad herr yen tuh fuwrst plwace," he said; he words were muffled by the pillow. Zidane snatched the pillow out of his hands. He jumped from the bed and stood in front of Sora.

"So, you're just going to sulk over your loss?" Zidane asked. Sora simply nodded. Zidane let out an exasperated sigh. "You try to talk some sense into him Vivi. I give up," Zidane let out a frustrated sigh.

Vivi pulled out a pointer from his pocket, who knows how it got there. He slapped Sora's thigh with it managing to get his attention. "Are you going to let some girl get you down!" he shouted; Vivi sounded similar to a military officer.

"Yes," Sora whined hopelessly. Vivi slapped him with the pointer again. "Ow! No," Sora corrected.

"I can't hear you!" Vivi screamed.

"No!" Sora cried loudly.

"Are you going to take that kind of treatment?" Vivi demanded.

"No!"

"Are you going to take her as your girlfriend?" Vivi asked.

"Yes!" Sora shouted; he suddenly felt a burst of confidence. He jumped up from the bed and proudly stood in front of Vivi.

"No matter how long it takes?"

"Yes, I can wait forever!" Sora squealed excitedly.

"Good, go and tell her that, soldier!" Vivi ordered.

"Yes sir!" Sora shouted; he saluted the nine-year old mage in training. Vivi smiled and turned to his brother. Zidane was shocked. Vivi could do that and he couldn't…what was the world coming to? Sora dashed out of his room; he happened to knock over Tidus in the process. "Sorry Tidy-Widy!" he shouted as he continued to run down the hallway.

"Will everybody stop calling me that?" Tidus whined, "What's gotten into him anyway?"

"I cheered him up!"

"Who said that?" Tidus asked. He looked around.

"Down here."

Tidus looked down and saw an angry Vivi staring at him. "Oh, hello, little one," Tidus said with a smile. He waved happily. Vivi growled and kicked Tidus in the shin; he then proceeded to run down the hallway screaming 'Meanie head'. Zidane laughed as he watched Tidus attempt to nurse his hurt knee.

Sora ran into the kitchen; he nearly knocked over Riku who was on his way out. Riku cracked a smile before moving on. Sora watched him leave. The fact that Riku actually smiled stunned him. He made a mental note to ask him why later. Sora looked over at Kairi who was currently banging her head on the kitchen counter. "You're hurting the counter," he whispered as he frowned for the counter.

Kairi looked up and saw Sora standing in the doorway. "Sora, I-," she began.

Sora grinned and quickly ran over to Kairi to give her a hug. "I don't care if you hate me! I'll love you forever and I'll wait for you!" he exclaimed before he released her, "I don't care if I die waiting for you…I'll wait for several eternities."

"Okay, Sora, but before you start your waiting…" Kairi started. She picked up the raw, packaged chicken and slammed it into his chest so he could hold it. "Start cooking," she ordered.

Sora grinned happily. "Can do!" he cried excitedly.

* * *

_A/N: I told you I'd have fun writing that. So much fun that I had a lot of fun…yeah that's it. Any who I didn't let you all know the conversation or argument between Kairi and Sora for a very important reason, because I didn't feel like typing it. Lol. I'm such a lazy bum. Anyways I hope you all liked it! Sora finally confessed, now you can all have your happy jitters. Lol, and then you can all get mad because Kairi rejected him! At least he isn't giving up though. Next chapter is the no so fantastic Thanksgiving Dinner._

_Oh and by the way expect more Vivi shin kicking, motivation speaking, hat loving, popcorn eating, Zidane annoying action! Lol in other words Vivi will appear more regularly now._

_Also I would like to say thanks. You all are so wonderful to me and I can't thank you enough. This is to all of my reviewers and anyone who contributed at all. You all motivate me and inspire me to keep writing! I love you all so much! Not in that way for some of the people who are having sick thoughts. Lol. You are the greatest reviewers a person could ever have! Thanks for being there for me._

**Your wonderful authoress**

**FlowerLady-Aerith**


	26. Fainting McFainter Pants

_A/N: Guys! I am so incredibly sorry that I have not updated in…what was it Sora? _

_Sora: A month! A long, overwhelming month! _

_Me: Okay Sora we get the point. Anyway, school has been consuming my life…it's making me have a life. Lol, a life of evil homework. FlowerLady-Aerith is even failing her math class! Any math whizzes out there? Lol I'm sorry but English is where I overachieve regardless of my constant typos. I hope you all can forgive me like the wonderful reviewers you are, not about the typos but the long wait hiatus thing. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts but I do own this plot, if I didn't that would be terribly awful. _

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five: Fainting McFainter Pants

"Hey…Kairi."

"Wha-Sora!"

Sora laughed as he threw more flour at Kairi's face. She frowned and flicked water at Sora. "Hey! That water was hot," Sora whined as he kneaded the dough for the butter rolls he was making. Kairi stuck out her tongue and continued washing the dirty dishes. She found it quite interesting how they were the only ones in the household that wanted to cook for the Thanksgiving dinner they would be sharing with the Tillmit's and the Tribal's. At least Naminé was preparing the dining room for their visitors tomorrow. Why she was doing it a day early was beyond Kairi. "Kairi, give me the butter," Sora ordered.

Kairi smirked. "Say please," she said as she slowly lifted the butter from the counter. Why she had picked it up...she didn't know; after all, she had no intention to hand it to Sora.

"Kairi, I don't have time to play games. I'm preparing food!" Sora cried before putting his hands on his non-existent hips. Regardless of what the football team jocks continually chant he isn't female and he does not have a time of month.

She laughed. "Wow, that's the first time in how long?" she asked teasingly. Sora leapt for the butter but Kairi jumped back causing Sora to collide with the tiled floor. Kairi giggled. "How does the floor taste?" she asked.

Sora blinked. "I don't know," he murmured curiously. He quickly licked the floor. Kairi whined in disgust. "It tastes like chicken," Sora answered with a satisfied grin.

"You are a very strange guy," Kairi muttered in disappointment, "Did that water make you high?" Sora stared at the floor; he looked like he was deep in thought. Perhaps the water did make him high. Perhaps someone had spiked the water...had Jack Sparrow been in their house again? Wait…again?

_"Aye lassie, it was just a little booze. A man like Riku would never be affected," Jack assured Kairi. Kairi raised an eyebrow. Since she felt she was the only one in the household with sanity she took it upon herself to investigate. "I put my pirate's word on it," Jack swore._

_A loud, animal-screeching noise echoed throughout the corridors of the house. This was followed by an ear-splitting scream. The two turned around and saw Riku run past them in his birthday suit. Kairi covered her eyes as the temperature rose in her body. "Really, a little booze wouldn't affect a man like Riku, eh?" she muttered distastefully. _

_"Well...maybe just a little," Jack chuckled nervously. _

That was a really strange day in the household. They had to knock Riku out with a baseball bat to get him to calm down. He still hadn't lived it down. Kairi sighed and shook her head at Sora. "Are you thinking about drunken Riku?" she asked curiously. Sora grinned and nodded. Kairi let out a disappointed sigh.

* * *

Naminé hummed as she folded the orange and brown napkins. She was a master in the art of napkin folding. Or as Tidus would say, in the art of being a neat freak. This comment only earned him a whap from the broom handle. She placed an orange napkin on the table and began to work on the next one. Diligence was her middle name, or as Olette would say cleanliness was her middle name. Fortunate for Olette, she escaped her broom whapping.

Roxas poked his head into the room. It was his usual guitar practice place. He chuckled as he watched Naminé perform her perfectionist duties. He cleared his throat and imitated her voice in a terrible, squeaky way. "Oh! This piece of napkin is so very pretty let me clean it with lemon-scented cleaner!" he squealed as he began to jump around happily.

She frowned and threw a napkin holder at Roxas's head. "Orange-scented cleaner, get it right!" she cried angrily as she watched Roxas nurse the side of his head. One of these days she was going to end up giving him a concussion. He grumbled to himself about Naminé's violence as he continued to watch her.

"I still don't understand…" Roxas mumbled.

"Well, you see, there are two scents for cleaners. There's lemon, l-e-m-o-n. You know, that yellow fruit that is sour. And there's orange, o-r-a-n-g-e, you know-," Naminé began to explain mischievously.

"Not that Naminé!" Roxas shouted; yet, somehow he felt a little stupid, "I don't understand why everyone has to come over here for Thanksgiving dinner."

"We have the biggest household Roxas, that's why. The Tillmit's home is made for two while the Tribal's house is made for only four. Since we live in a mansion with three floors our house would be the ideal setting," Naminé answered in a matter of fact tone.

"Aren't you Miss Smarty-Pants," Roxas teased slyly.

Naminé giggled. "Just shut up and play that guitar you're holding," she ordered as she finished folding another napkin. Roxas grinned and sat down in a chair. After some tuning he began to play.

_I couldn't tell you why she did that,  
She did it everyday.  
And I couldn't help her,  
I just watched her clean the same things everyday_

_What's wrong, what's wrong now?  
Too many cleaners, too many cleaners  
Don't know where they sell hers, where they sell hers  
She wants her orange-scented cleaner, but nobody sells it._

Naminé frowned. Thanks to Roxas's song she was feeling a little wheezy in her stomach; so she threw another napkin holder at Roxas. "Stop making fun of me!" she cried as she glared at the boy. Roxas couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Hayner cleared his throat. He was standing in front of the front door. "Anybody home!" he shouted; he heard his voice echo off of the porch walls. Hayner was startled by the sound. "What a strange house," he murmured. He rolled his eyes; it didn't look like anyone was going to come answer the door. "Oh well, they won't mind…well, at least, Sora won't," he thought aloud.

Hayner backed up to the edge of the porch and paused. He quickly charged toward the door in an attempt to knock it down. Instead of knocking it down, he reflected off of it and flew off of the porch and into the fresh autumn mud…or something courtesy of a wild animal. "Eww," Hayner whined as he stared at his soiled clothing.

He heard laughing. He quickly looked up and spotted Riku on the porch smirking at him. "That was priceless," he laughed. Hayner glared and pouted. He looked like an angry, little boy who had just gotten his G.I. Joe doll stolen.

"Do you find joy from seeing a good-looking guy in distress!" Hayner shouted as he shook his fist.

"Yeah," Riku said, "I wouldn't agree with the good-looking part, though. See you around." With that said, Riku turned around and left the porch; he closed the front door behind him. Hayner pouted and crossed his arms. He would get that…whatever Riku considered himself to be.

_…What the heck?_

**_A day later_**

Kairi watched as the Thanksgiving dinner she and Sora had worked so hard to create was being used as paper balls. _'Poor Selphie has corn all in her hair. Eww, Tidus is eating it right of the hair grease. It started out as a fine, civilized dinner until Hayner burst into the room throwing raw chicken fat at everyone. Poor Sora got chicken fat all over his cute, brunette locks. Wait? No, no not cute, they're just naturally spiky…moving onto other topics,' _Kairi thought as she watched in disgust.

She watched as all her friends enjoyed themselves by splattering the other with a dose of mashed potatoes or the nasty coleslaw Mrs. Tilmitt had tried to create. '_Wait, did someone just wreck apart that delicious looking pumpkin pie Vivi made? Oh wait…that was Vivi; he threw it right in Riku's hair too,' _Kairi thought. Kairi found it quite amusing and found it hard to stifle her laughter. That's when that little brunette had to throw the 'freaking' sweet potatoes smack dab in her face.

Sora laughed as he watched Kairi's anger boil. Oh boy, was it on now. Kairi grabbed the bowl of cranberry sauce. _No not the cranberry sauce, twas Roxas's favorite! _Kairi stood up from her chair and slowly walked toward Sora's, which was on the other side of the table. She dumped the contents from the bowl all over the brunette's head. She cackled as she watched him squirm from the sauce that was trickling down the sides of his head.

"Go Kairi!" Tidus cheered before Selphie attacked him with a ham dish. Selphie giggled hysterically and clapped happily as the food was splattered everywhere. She had worked so hard on that…yet, it was worth seeing her boyfriend all messy.

Naminé hid under the table as she rocked back and forth. She was out of her element. "Too much mess, too much mess, too much mess, too much mess," Naminé chanted as she hugged her knees. Yes, she was going insane. Hayner had gotten her in the face with the crème pie Blank made.

Zidane peered under the table to see the poor, cleanliness-obsessed girl freaking out. _'Maybe I shouldn't have given her the title The Savage Nymph…maybe a little visit from Mister Turkey would cheer her up!' _he thought with a smirk. He grabbed the greasiest turkey leg from the platter and then went back under the table. "Nam!" he shouted before he threw the chicken leg at her face.

She screamed and fell over and out from under the table. Roxas blinked as he looked down at his…_ 'Hey, I never did ask her to be my girlfriend…strange…what if she just sees me as a friend with benefits!' _Roxas thought; he held his head in shock. "I must contemplate! To the basement and beyond!" he cried before he leapt from his chair and ran out of the room.

Naminé was completely exposed. She let out another shrill cry as green beans were thrown all over her white dress. "I'm burning inside!" she screeched loudly before she fell unconscious. Everyone stopped to stare at Naminé. Olette frowned and bent down.

"I guess a food fight is just too much for her to handle right now. Okay Hayner, can you got get me a wet wash cloth and warm water, please. Sora, fetch me the bucket, Kai-," Olette instructed diligently.

"Wait," Sora interrupted, "Do you mean the cleaning and mopping bucket or the throwing up bucket?"

"Both…Kairi, get me the phone book so I can call a doctor and a psychiatrist," Olette continued to instruct. She gently lifted Naminé from the ground. "And hurry!" she cried as she struggled to carry Naminé out of the dining room.

Sora tapped his chin. "She said hurry…and since yesterday Riku told me it was opposite day today. I guess I should go really slow!" he exclaimed before he began to walk very slow. He was taking baby steps toward his destination.

Kairi sighed as she watched Sora pathetically scurry toward the broom closet where both buckets were kept. She walked past him and headed toward the kitchen. Kairi paused in the middle of the hallway; something had donned on her. Was Olette really serious about the psychiatrist? She shrugged and decided it was best she got it anyway. Naminé was one messed up girl.

Selphie glared at Hayner from across the table. He was still standing in the doorway throwing random pieces of turkey breast at Sora as he continued to scurry in a slow fashion. Zidane waved his hand in front of Selphie's face. She snatched it out of the air and bit down on it. Zidane screamed and instinctively slapped the brunette with his tail. Selphie let out a shrill cry of furry madness before she fell on the floor. She began to roll around on the ground as if she was on fire.

**_Yes, indeed this was a weird Thanksgiving. _**

In the midst of the chaos, Riku had managed to escape to his room. Riku sat in the far-left corner of his room with one finger in his left ear while the other ear was preoccupied with the sounds coming from his cell phone. "No, you wouldn't dare," Riku hissed as he glared toward his phone. He frowned; his blood was beginning to boil. The person on the other side of the phone was really starting to anger him.

"Try that and see what happens."

"Are you challenging me?"

"We'll just see about that."

"You leave her out of this."

"I swear…"

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Anyway my awesome reviewers, that is finally the latest update! So whom was Riku talking to and what about? Does anyone else find it just a little bit weird that Naminé fainted because of a food fight? Perhaps there is a deeper reason…who knows. Also, how does Olette know those doctor-like things? You will all just have to find out in the next chapter now won't you? See you then beloved reviewers! Oh and I have a quick question for the story lol._

**_Have you ever loved so one so much it hurt?_ **


	27. A Strange Twist

_A/N: Hello my wonderful and very forgiving reviewers! I love you all! Lol yes Aerith is in a very happy mood at the moment, so I guess I should spread the joy while it lasts. Anyway as a little heads up for you all everything should be coming off of hiatus, and hopefully my master plan will work this time. My master plans usually only work in my head. Oh well, what can I say I'm more of a thinker than an action…girl? Oh well I love you all for still sticking around for the wonderful fan fiction that I love ever so much. It's my baby, lol I can't abandon it for long or else it will start screaming 'UPDATE LOSER UPDATE!…oh and fetch me my bottle.' Anyway Naminé has a few words to say before we begin._

_Naminé: I am in no way allergic to food…never! I hate you filthy people and by that I mean you Hayner! Get back here I need to disinfect you!_

_Me: Well that was interesting…oh well I guess I have to do the disclaimer all alone. –Teardrop-_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did I would be the happiest person ever and a man lol._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Strange Twist

"Where is Sora with those buckets?" Olette cried out in frustration. She tended to Naminé making sure to blot away the sweat that was gathering on the blonde's forehead. A bad situation had gone to worst in only a few minutes. Interesting, how once she had gotten Naminé in her bed the poor girl started to sweat and turn clammy. Olette had never seen this before, and she was being to wonder if Naminé had any chronic illnesses. A simple faint usually wouldn't cause these effects.

Kairi frowned as she watched the cleaning-obsessed girl toss in her bed. "Are you sure she just fainted?" Kairi asked with a raised eyebrow, "She looks like she's about to have a seizure or something."

Olette frowned. "I don't know, maybe she inhaled too many cleaning fumes…I really don't know," Olette mumbled worriedly. She looked back toward the open doorway where Sora was just arriving with the two buckets. Olette glared at the boy; her cheeks turned red from her anger. "What took you so long?" she blurted out angrily.

"I was going as fast as humanly possible!" Sora chirped happily as he slowly made his way across the room to Olette, "Riku did not tell me that it was not opposite day today." He was taking the smallest steps in the world. As Kairi would put it, he was completely useless.

"It's not opposite day!" Kairi cried angrily; she quickly snatched the buckets from Sora's grasp, "That day doesn't even exist!" Sora stuck out his bottom lip. "Here Olette," Kairi grumbled as she sat the buckets next to her.

Sora skipped over to Naminé's bedside; he wondered why Olette needed the two buckets. He gasped at the sight of Naminé. She was shaking and stirring all over her pure white bed sheets. "Whoa, what happened to her?" he asked as he leaned in to get a better view, "She looks all sweaty."

"I don't know and where are the paramedics? They were supposed to be here by now!" Olette exclaimed; her face scrunched up into a scow. Interesting how professionals could be so late when they were needed immediately. Traverse Town wasn't even that large.

_"Hey, look the paramedics are outside! Hello paramedics!"_

"Good ol' Selphie," Olette chuckled, "Sora, Kairi. Help me lift Naminé off the bed so we can get her downstairs. We'll carry her on the bed sheets." Sora, Kairi, and Olette each grabbed one side of one of the various sheets on Naminé's bed and lifted it into the air with her lying in the middle. They swiftly, yet safely, carried her down the rickety staircase and to the front door where the paramedics had just rushed in. They quickly strapped Naminé into a stretcher and took her away. It only took a few seconds. Their speed was similar to that of a sprinting cheetah. Perhaps that's why they were the professionals.

Tidus closed the front door quietly. "Wow, that was weird," he muttered before shoving his hands into his pockets, "For some reason, I'm getting the idea there was something other than the food fight that made her faint."

"Wow, he's a genius!" Zidane cried sarcastically. Tidus rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. "Anyway, we should all get Riku to take us to the hospital so we can see the savage nymph!" Zidane suggested.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "You can't walk to the hospital by yourselves?" he deadpanned. The idea of escorting them all as if they were kids was not something he fancied. Selphie excitedly shook her head. "Only you would say no wouldn't you? _Fine,_ I'll take you to the hospital, but this won't become a habit. Oh, and Kairi's leading the way," Riku reluctantly agreed.

"What?" Kairi whined; she stomped her feet on the ground, "I don't want to be leader!" She acted with the maturity of a kindergartener. Sora snickered as he watched Kairi cross her arms and give Riku a baby's death glare. _'She is so adorable when she does that, where's a camera! Oh my god the world is coming to an end, I don't have a camera! I want a camera! Pence, old lad, please magically appear! Pence!'_ Sora thought before he slapped himself out of his hysteria, literally.

Roxas entered the entranceway and looked around. "What's going on? And why did Sora just slap himself?" Roxas asked as he stared at Sora curiously.

"Sora's stupid and we're all going to hospital since Naminé was just rolled away on a stretcher," Zidane explained bluntly.

"What!" Roxas cried stumbling backwards.

"You didn't know Sora was stupid?" Selphie asked, "Wow, and people call me slow."

"Can we just get going? I'm sure Olette can explain it to you in excruciating detail on the way," Riku grumbled. He yanked open the door practically ripping it off its hinges in the process. He wasn't too excited about going to a hospital. The whole establishment was just another building marked as enemy territory. _Ashe…_

Sensing the anger from Riku everyone began to file out the house quietly. When an emo gets mad things aren't exactly pleasant. They were all very aware of that fact seeing as Riku was…Riku. Yes, he would kill them all if needed; of course, Tidus would be first because he poked him in the eye when he was sleeping. Riku would never forgive Tidus for that one. Sora was naturally unaware that Riku was angry at the world so he decided to be extra loud and bug both the emo and Kairi the entire way to the hospital. He seemed to have no respect for personal boundaries.

_'Okay, never mind Sora is now the first one on my list!' _Riku mentally hissed.

"Are we there yet?" Sora asked as he oogled at Kairi and her beautiful hair. He loved staring at her.

"No! For the one-millionth time we are not there yet and ask again I'll sic Riku on you!" Kairi cried. Annoyed tears were already streaming down her cheeks. Why, why couldn't Sora just shut up? Sora pouted and rested his arms behind his head.

"Gosh, when did you become so bitter? I know you're loveless but geez," Sora grumbled as he looked the other way. Kairi was scaring him with her emotions. Oh boy, did he know how to tick Kairi off.

Kairi's amethyst eyes suddenly turned a very dark indigo; she flashed a very evil look Sora's way that gave him goosebumps all over his body. "Loveless, eh?" Kairi hissed. Sora laughed nervously. "Loveless, you'll soon regret saying that," she threatened evilly.

"Hey, look we're there!" Sora exclaimed. He quickly seized the opportunity and ran inside the place of all healing. Kairi growled and chased after him. Riku sighed and gently pushed open the glass door for the others. He was suddenly ashamed to be in a dysfunctional family with them.

Olette quickly approached the check-in counter to inquire about Naminé. The others simply took a seat in the waiting area. Well, one couldn't say Sora and Kairi were sitting. It was more like Sora was being strangled while seated in one of the waiting room chairs. Tidus flinched as he tried to look away.

"Kairi is a cold-blooded murderer," Tidus whispered to Selphie. She nodded as she resisted the strong urge to laugh at Sora's pain.

Riku stayed a distance away from the group and was currently occupying wall space. He stared at the white ceiling as he thought about just how much he despised hospitals. "You can't save anything…you mockery," Riku silently growled.

"Well, I know I'm going to become a black mage, but that's just a little mean."

Riku blinked in response to the voice; he hadn't expected the hospital to answer him. He turned to see Lulu staring at him strangely. He didn't feel crazy anymore. "Not you, the establishment," Riku replied before he resumed his glaring session. Lulu crossed her arms.

"You have some serious issues," she deadpanned with a roll of her eyes. Riku frowned as he continued to glare. He would be sure that ceiling bowed down to the ultimate power of his evil glare! He even had the evil glint in his eye as a bonus. Only emo kids could do the evil glint like that, including Lulu. Knowing this Riku reverted to Lulu who was already glaring at him. The two stood there glaring at each other.

* * *

Olette slumped into her waiting chair between Sora and Tidus. "The doctors have stabilized her and now their running tests on Naminé," Olette explained; she already knew Roxas was going to ask her about it anyway. It's not like the continual finger tapping on her shoulder had given it away or anything.

"Nobody runs tests on my Naminé!" Roxas exclaimed as he jumped out of his seat, "I'll just have a talk with that nurse!"

"Sit down, Wonder-Spike," Kairi laughed as he pushed Roxas back down into his seat, "We need to find out what is wrong with Naminé. So you're just going to have to deal with the fact 'your girl' is having tests run on her, got it?" Roxas rolled his eyes; he was not in the mood for mockingbird Kairi.

Roxas slumped in his chair. Now he had several things on his mind. The first thought was of Naminé and her condition. The second was of the white that surrounded him. Yes, that horrid color actually had a history. "Stupid absence of color," Roxas muttered as he stared at the ceiling with a completely blank expression. Soon his thoughts drowned out the bickering that was going on between Sora and Tidus. It was about which girl was hotter; Kairi versus Selphie.

_

* * *

_

_"Roxas, why aren't you studying!"_

"_Daddy I-." _

"_Father, must I remind you?" A tall, blonde man asked as he stared at his ten-year-old son. Roxas hung his head down in shame. "Here, read all of Exodus. This is some good knowledge; in the future it'll help you." _

"_Whatever," Roxas muttered as he lazily flipped through the book. His father flinched before walking away. Roxas grumbled under his breath as he flipped to the first page of Exodus. "I don't how this will ever help me, why can't I play like the other kids? I want to be a rock star!" Roxas complained. _

_Roxas sighed and stared down at the Bible. Instead of deciphering the words, all he saw was the whiteness of the page. Why was it so bright? Oh, how the light reflecting off the white page was killing him. "Why is it so white!" he cried suddenly disoriented. Tears started to drop from Roxas's eyes and he slowly fell asleep missing all of the action… _

* * *

"Roxas, wake up!" Sora cried as he shook the blonde boy. Roxas opened one eye to stare at the frantic boy; unfortunately, Sora did not notice he had awakened.

"Huh-."

"This is for your own good!" Sora cried before he slapped Roxas across the face.

Roxas now had a large red mark across his cheek. "What did you do that for?" he shouted angrily. He raised his fist to punch Sora in the face.

Sora whined. "I just wanted to tell you I needed money for a soda," Sora squeaked as he tried to back away, but Roxas's grip on his shirt was too tight.

"A soda?" Roxas cried in outrage, "I kill you!"

"That's bad grammar!" Sora chimed before he was knocked to the ground. Roxas had punched him square in the nose. "My nostrils, they burn!" Sora cried as he nursed his nose.

Roxas wasn't done with the boy just yet. "Come here!" Roxas screamed before he jumped out of his chair ready to attack Sora, but Kairi kindly stepped in front of him. "Hey, move Kairi!" Roxas demanded.

Kairi shook her head. "Sorry Roxas, but Naminé wants to see you," she announced, "Sora was supposed to tell you that but I guess he forgot and ended up being socked in the face." Kairi glared at Sora briefly. He was still cradling his nose.

Roxas blinked. This was a new development. "Oh…I guess I should go to her now," he mumbled before he turned and began walking away. He felt very awkward.

"Wrong way, Roxas!" Kairi shouted down the hall. Roxas laughed nervously and changed direction he was walking. Now, he was just plain embarrassed.

* * *

Naminé lay in her hospital bed hooked up to a little bag filled with a clear liquid substance; she had been awake for only thirty minutes and was already feeling sleepy again. She had just been told she had a certain disease…even though, she was already very aware of that. She sighed and turned her attention to the white door that was slowly opening.

Roxas poked his head into the hospital room. He spotted Naminé on the hospital bed staring his way; he waved nervously. "Hi Naminé," he said as he stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him. "How are you feeling?" he asked tenderly.

"Better now," she replied as she watched him take a seat by her bedside.

"That's good," Roxas stated; he fiddled with his fingers. Somehow, hospitals had always made him nervous; maybe it was because so many people died in them? The fact that Naminé was in the hospital only increased his nervous factor. "So…Kairi told me you wanted to talk to me?" Roxas asked curiously.

Naminé nodded. "I have something to tell you. I figured you'd be the best person to tell first," she began; she resisted the urge to yawn. Roxas nodded; he leaned in slightly so he could hear everything she said. Naminé inhaled deeply only to be greeted by the stuffy scent of medicine. "Well…the doctors ran exams on my body and they came to the conclusion that I have…" Naminé lingered.

"You have…" Roxas repeated; he bit his bottom lip. Why did Naminé have to say it in such a melancholy tone? It was making him more nervous.

Naminé looked to the white walls for support, but instead of a helpful response she only received silence. "They said that I have…anemia," Naminé whispered; she closed her eyes tightly. She didn't want to see Roxas's reaction. After that conversation they had had at lunch she didn't want to see him that way.

Roxas turned pale. "No, you don't," Roxas denied with a shake of his head, "No, Naminé don't tell me that! Just tell me you have no disease and you're okay, please take it back." He pleaded with her desperately.

"Roxas, you can't live in denial and I won't let you either. I have anemia and that's that. Besides I've known since I was little and in the orphanage…" Naminé continued regretfully.

This took the blonde boy by shock. "You knew…a-and you didn't tell me?" Roxas inquired; he suddenly felt overwhelmed. "Why didn't you tell me when I told you about my parents?" Roxas asked again.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Naminé replied.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: See I always twist the story, lol. Now you all know the reason why Naminé fainted it wasn't lack of cleanliness as you can see. Now what is this about Roxas's parents eh? How do they have ties to anemia? You'll just have to find out in my next hopefully quickly written chapter! Anyway expect the school drama in the next chapter; break is over people! Well leave a review if you can! Hugs and kisses for my wonderful reviewers!_


	28. Schooloh joy

_A/N: Okay the main question last chapter was what was anemia. So I shall tell you all now. Okay it's a lower red blood cell count. Or in high tech terms less iron in your blood pretty much. So people with anemia take iron supplements. You see. That's all it is really, now how did such a simple disease affect Roxas's parents when they could've simply had supplements you'll just have to wait! Now that that is done I shall start writing the next chapter._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven: School…oh joy

Roxas was a second away from shaking and screaming at Naminé. He wondered what was wrong with her, well, other than her cleaning insanity. The more he heard about this situation the angrier it got him. The pity he once felt for Naminé was gone. "What do you mean you lost your iron supplements!" he shouted as he clenched his fists tightly. The blonde girl laughed nervously and slowly began to sink underneath her white blanket.

"I lost them and I was too lazy to go get more. I didn't think they were so important," Naminé chuckled although she was very aware this was not a laughing matter. "Besides, what could a loss of a few supplements do?" she laughed nervously.

Roxas's top lip twitched. "How many exactly did you miss?" Roxas asked.

A pause. "About…14," Naminé choked out. She knew Roxas wouldn't be happy about that.

Now, it was this made Roxas explode. "What the heck, Naminé!" he screamed as he struggled to continue resisting his strong urges to strangle her. "Don't you know you have to take care yourself?" he inquired through a low growl.

"Why should I?" Naminé retorted curtly. She rolled her eyes. In her opinion, taking iron supplements was pretty irking. Though, it wasn't like she purposely missed them. It wasn't her fault she had lost them during gym class fourteen days ago.

"Because if anything happened to you, worse than this, I don't know what I'd do Naminé," Roxas replied sadly. He slumped in his chair.

Taken aback, there was only one way out from Naminé's guilt. "I know what'd you do, Mister Roxas. You'd rush down the hospital and kill every single doctor there if they didn't help me, that's what you do!" she exclaimed with a humorous snort. Roxas's blushed scarlet. What was she now an insane cleaning psychic? She knew him too well.

"Even so…Naminé! You ruined the moment!" Roxas whined loudly. How could he be angry with her now?

She laughed and shook her head in disapproval. "Well, I just figured you might want to know what you were going to do. But I guess if it really gives you that much pain I'll take my iron supplements," Naminé finally agreed. Roxas grinned triumphantly.

"That's what I call male dominance," he declared proudly.

"Male dominance, eh?" Namine asked; her eye twitched slightly, "I'll show you male dominance." Now after that, no one really knows what happened. Seeing as Roxas had emerged from the room unconscious and grounded. He was dragged home only to be questioned about the event later. Even then, it was still all a blur to him.

Now that Thanksgiving weekend had ended school was back in session. All the runts had to return to school. The title 'runts' was courtesy of Blank and Baku who insisted on teasing all of Organization XIII. Well, except Naminé, who would remain in the hospital for another weekend, it turns out they needed to run more exams on her before she could leave. If Roxas hadn't had Cloud and Leon for friends he would've been very lonely. Lonely and a little crazy. This was mainly because he was already going crazy.

"So now that your girl is in the hospital, what are you going to do?" Leon asked as the trio walked down the halfway empty hallway. It seemed no one was in a hurry to return to school after the short break. Roxas stuffed his hands in his pockets and allowed his fingers to play with their contents. "Aren't you going to take your anger out on Seifer?" Leon asked; it was halfway a suggestion.

"Maybe," Roxas replied absently. He wasn't really paying much attention to Leon. He was too busy watching Cloud. The blonde hadn't exactly been himself today. He seemed to be a little spacey, quite frequently he had bumped into people or ran into random objects. Poor Mr. Mickey had been fallen on. The poor mouse was probably still stuck to the floor. Whose idea was it to put metal in the uniforms? Surely it wasn't safer.

"Roxas, are you listening?" Leon asked impatiently. He waved a hand in front of Roxas's face. Roxas blinked. "That's what I thought, no wonder you failed your math test," Leon scowled.

"I did not fail! A 69 is not failing that is practically a 70, you know!" Roxas exclaimed angrily as he flailed his arms around wildly. His lack of arm coordination resulted in Cloud smacking action. Cloud fell to the ground with a thud.

Yuna giggled. "Only skaters," she spat pathetically as she walked past them. Garnet kept quiet, but appeared to have signs of remorse on her face. Or was she just mocking their pain? Roxas couldn't tell. Fuu smirked, but winked at Cloud. Even though he was a skater, Cloud was still considered to be a 'hottie'. Paine didn't give him a second glance.

Once the four girls were out of sight Aerith hurried over to Cloud. "Cloud, are you all right?" she cooed as she slowly helped the fallen boy off of the ground. She quickly studied him searching for any signs of injury. Cloud blushed and looked away. Her attention made him feel weak at the knees, it was obvious.

"I'm fine," he deadpanned. All of Aerith's attention was making him nervous. No girl had ever dared to get that close to him. Leon and Roxas chuckled and decided to leave the new couple alone.

* * *

"Kairi," Sora whispered before he threw a paper ball at her head. Kairi winced; it was as if that paper ball came out of nowhere. She frowned and picked it up off the floor. She quickly reformed the paper and began to read what Sora had written inside.

_Kairi, _

_Umm, do you think we could…well do something? Like say, go to the movies later this week, or even watch television at home? You know, we could do these things by ourselves…with no one else around. _

Her cheeks turned pink. She turned back around to face Sora. She saw him busily and nervously working out his algebra problems. She could see some beads of sweat beginning to trickle down the sides of his head. Kairi could also see the redness beginning to grace his cheeks. She smiled. "Hey Sora," she whispered very quietly; she didn't want Mr. Scrooge to hear her. Sora looked up with fear written all over his face, or were those ink smudges? Had Sora been doing math in ink again? "I'd be delighted to go somewhere alone with you," Kairi giggled quietly.

Sora grinned. "Really? This is great, I have so many ideas!" Sora chirped; he was suddenly filled with excitement and eagerness. Kairi laughed at his enthusiasm.

"First, we need to agree on a date silly," Kairi teased with a shake of her head, "What do you think of Friday. I hear a scary movie is playing!" She couldn't help but giggle in delight. She loved scary movies. If there was anybody she trusted enough to go to a movie with it'd be Sora.

Sora turned pale. If there was something he hated more than evil, scary movies he'd dress up in a chicken suit and run down the hallways making all kinds of sounds. That wouldn't be happening, though. There was nothing he hated more than scary movies, but this was Kairi. Kairi, whatever their last name was, he'd do anything for her. "Okay," he agreed.

She clapped her hands together. "It's a date," she announced happily. She quickly turned back around and resumed working on the classwork. Sora's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Date? Who said anything about date? _'Oh yeah…I did. Oops,' _Sora thought with a slightly frightened expression.

* * *

Yuna slammed her locker shut scaring Garnet whom was standing beside her. "I'm tired of that Tillmit!" Yuna growled before she stomped her foot on the ground. She instantly recoiled and whimpered in pain. Heels weren't made to be slammed against the ground. Garnet stifled a laugh and looked the other way. "Come on, Garnet. Let's go find the others and meet for lunch. We can discuss this later," Yuna instructed as she began to walk away.

"Yuna, you'll never guess what I found out about Kairi and that weird boy who sniffs his stinky socks in gym class," Paine proclaimed as she slowly approached the two girls from across the hallway. Yuna raised an eyebrow as if to say 'what'? "They're going to the movies this Friday!" Paine squealed.

Yuna's jaw dropped. "No way!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, way," Paine smoothly replied.

Yuna grinned evilly. This was the perfect opportunity. "We'll just have to have us a little revenge, now won't we girls?" Yuna asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, I guess," Garnet murmured as she stared in the other direction.

"That was a rhetorical question!" Yuna shrieked scaring Garnet once again.

* * *

All of the organization was seated at the table happily eating and chatting about how their Thanksgiving had gone. This excluded Riku and Lulu who sat at their usual table. The table could actually be considered emo. They had decorated it with black, bleeding roses, skulls, and other emo-like things. They even had a nice, black tablecloth with gothic looking candles seated on it. It was interesting how creative the two could be when they put their minds together.

Roxas played with his food; he was gently pushing around his fries with the tips of his fingers. He wasn't in the mood to eat; he just wanted to know how Naminé was doing. Rikku gently poked his shoulder knocking him out of his daydream. "Are you okay, Roxie? You look so distant like, yeah," Rikku slurred out unable to make the words a nice, solid sentence.

"Y-Yeah I'm just not that hungry," he responded as he ran his fingers through his golden locks. Rikku nodded and turned back to her sister Yuffie who was arguing with Tifa about whether Moogle or Chocobo plushies were better.

The day was too long for Roxas. Once the release bell rang he quickly grabbed his things, went to his locker, and rushed to the hospital with some freshly picked flowers. He was well aware of Naminé's love for tulips. Due to his quick pace, he reached the building in under the usual fifteen minutes. He was very, very eager.

He entered the hospital and was shocked by the scene. About four doctors and nurses rushed by pushing a hospital bed toward the emergency room, or at least he assumed that was where they were headed. Roxas narrowed his eyes to get a good glimpse of the woman being pushed away. She was blonde and looked to be about the age of seventeen. Her eyes were halfway open revealing her crystal blue orbs. Her skin was ghastly pale and looked quite clammy; she must have been sweating. A cool breeze suddenly blew by him chilling him down to the bone. Roxas felt his lungs seize as he stood still as a rock. In an instant, the whole scene disappeared before him.

"Whoa," he mumbled as he rubbed his head, "Maybe I should have eaten lunch."

Roxas shook his head and quickly walked toward Naminé's room. The whole experience had freaked him out. He needed to see she was all right. He pushed open her hospital door and saw her peacefully reading a magazine. He grinned and whistled getting her attention. She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't school just get out ten minutes ago? That's at least a fifteen minute walk, how'd you-." Naminé began, but she was interrupted.

"I couldn't wait to see you, so I ran," Roxas cut in. He grabbed a seat and sat down next to her. "Here, these are for you," he announced. He pulled out the bouquet of tulips from behind him and handed them to Naminé.

She squealed in delight and gave Roxas a giant hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're the greatest!" she cried happily. It wasn't just the gift that made her happy; it was the fact that he had actually listened when they were comparing favorites. Roxas blushed and mumbled something that came out slurred. Naminé didn't notice in her excitement. She giggled happily and set the flowers next to her. "So how was school?" she asked curiously.

"It was boring without you," Roxas admitted as he leaned back in his chair, "Cloud was busy with Aerith and Leon well, he was just being himself." Naminé laughed. "So, did the doctors give you a heads up about your checkout time?" Roxas asked. He desperately wanted Naminé back home.

She nodded. "I shall be out tomorrow so when you come home I'll be there cleaning already," Naminé chimed with a smile, "I can't wait to get out of here, it's so boring and the smell makes me want to vomit."

Roxas nodded. "I never really fancied hospitals either," he agreed nonchalantly.

"Oh, is Roxas improving his vocabulary?" Naminé teased. Her eyes were gleaming.

Roxas grinned. "Maybe. I just might be listening to the lectures in English," he admitted happily.

* * *

Kairi slammed her locker shut and screamed in fear. Axel was standing there with a puppy dog look on his face. "Axel, y-you scared me…what do you want?" she breathed. She was still trying to regain her breath and couldn't sound mean if she wanted to.

"I came to apologize to you about the Welcome Back dance. I would've done it sooner, but from past events I thought you might knock my block off," Axel explained. Kairi's face softened. She found it sweet that Axel would build up the courage to apologize to her. "Do you forgive me?" Axel asked sweetly.

She grinned a grin similar to Sora's trademark expression. Had she been spending so much time with him that his habits were rubbing off on her? "Of course I do. And I understand now, Captain Jack had spiked the punch and you had a lot of it that night so it's understandable," Kairi replied with a light bounce in her matured voice.

"Great! Friends?" he asked. Axel held out his hand for Kairi to shake.

She graciously accepted and shook it firmly. "Friends," she agreed.

* * *

Olette kept her eyes on the ground as she walked home. Most of the others were either still in the school building or somewhere else, so she was alone. She let out a deep sigh as she turned the corner and ran straight into something squishy, but firm. Her emerald eyes quickly glanced up to meet with the gaze of chocolate brown ones. "H-Hey Hayner," she stuttered as she took a step backward.

"You look so sad, what's the matter Olette?" Hayner asked; he leaned in closely so that their faces were only a couple of inches apart. Olette felt intimidated by the way he was staring at her; it was scaring her. "Did somebody threaten you?" Hayner asked again. He could tell something was wrong.

She shook her head quickly, though she was actually lying. She had never lied before in her life. Olette had been a good orphan kid in her day. "N-No I'm fine I'll just go home n-now," she stuttered as she tried to get past Hayner, but he grabbed her arm quickly.

"Who was it?" he growled. Olette felt his entire body tense up. This also slightly scared her.

"N-Nobody I don't k-know what you're talking a-about I have to g-go home bye!" she panicked. She quickly stomped on his foot and made a run for it. Hayner cocked his head to his left side as he watched her run.

"What's the matter with that girl?" he muttered under his breath.

_Fuu and Rai had cornered Olette in a deserted hallway. Fear was written all over her; this could be noted by the shaking ankles. Fuu grabbed the collar of Olette's uniform shirt. "You better help us, Olette. You're the only one no one would suspect, you goody good," Fuu growled._

"_Yeah, y'know, Yuna's got this great plan to break your friend, y'know," Rai added before crossing his muscular arms. _

_Fuu smashed Olette against the wall. "Agree or do we need to make you?" she threatened. She was so close Olette could smell her peppermint breath. Olette gasped as she dealt with the after-effect of the smash. "Answer me!" Fuu growled._

"_Y-Yes I'll do it," Olette gasped as she squirmed to get away from Fuu's grasp. _

"_Good," Fuu hissed before she dropped Olette on the ground. She turned around to leave but stopped in her tracks. "And no word of this to anyone," she added sinisterly. _

"_Yeah, no one, y'know," Rai repeated. _

Olette collapsed onto her bed. She felt so dirty for agreeing to Fuu's plan. She covered herself with her blanket and hugged her pillow. Hot, silent tears dripped down her cheeks that threatened never to stop.

* * *

_A/N: That's it for this chapter! Oh and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone I hope you have a wonderful holiday and I hope you all have something to be thankful for! I love you all and thanks for the reviews for last chapter and the ones I hope to get for this chapter. Now for a small recap. Isn't it great that Kairi and Sora are going on a date? That's like the greatest! But what is Yuna's master plan and does this somehow link to Riku's mysterious phone call last chapter? Hmm, you'll just have to wait and see. Love to all!_


	29. Addmittance

_A/N: Hello my friends! Its okay now I'm here to grace you with my wonderful, fake presence. Sadly I won't be there when you read this because I have no idea where each of you live…so yeah. Now this is like the new chapter if you haven't guessed I'm sure you have…okay I'll admit it I'm freaking rambling._

_Sora: You always ramble what difference does it make?_

_Me: You know what Sora I'm ruining your date with Kairi now just because I can!_

_Sora: No! Don't do that!_

_Me: Too late –runs to type-_

_Sora: I'll stop you! –grabs Oathkeeper- Charge!_

_Disclaimer: FlowerLady-Aerith does not own Kingdom Hearts and is now too crippled to type the rest of this disclaimer._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Admittance

"Sora! Sora! Sora! Sora! Sora!"

Sora growled and leaped furiously out of his closet. "Vivi, I'll kill you!" he screamed, but instead of pummeling Vivi, who was still shouting his name. He pummeled Kairi. This was only made worse by the fact he was completely naked, with the exception of his boxers. Kairi screamed and hit the floor with a loud, bone-cracking, pain-surging, anger-creating, thud.

Sora stared at the person he had pummeled with confusion written on his face. "Hey, you aren't Vivi…Oh my god, Kairi!" he exclaimed fearfully. He quickly leapt from her damaged body and ran into his closet to cover himself. Kairi growled angrily; her cheeks were a dark shade of red. She was so embarrassed.

"Sora, you whore!" she screamed fiercely. Vivi laughed nervously and hopped off of Sora's bed. He slowly and quietly exited the room. Once he was safe in the hallway, he dashed downstairs and urged everyone to go into Sora's room. There was apparently a show going on.

He gasped, "Kairi, you called me a whore." He poked his spiky head out of his closet door.

"Well, what do you expect? You tackled me while you were pretty much naked and bruised my arm!" Kairi exclaimed as she massaged her poor arm. Sora's cheeks instantly reddened. He hadn't realized he was naked, well, almost naked. "Anyways, I came in here to ask if you wanted dinner I'm making some and-," Kairi began, but she was interrupted by voices outside Sora's door.

_"Vivi, they're just talking about dinner. What's so interesting about that?"_

Kairi eyed the doorway saw that all of her housemates were listening to her and Sora's 'interesting' conversation. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked with an edgy tone.

"Vivi!" Zidane blurted out before he turned and ran down the hallway loudly declaring the world's end. Selphie's grin disappeared and she patted Vivi on his hat before following The Superior's actions. Soon enough, everyone had abandoned the poor boy and left him completely vulnerable to Kairi's wrath.

Vivi gulped and took a step back. "Hey Sora, want Vivi?" she inquired as she grabbed the poor boy and yanked him into the bedroom.

Sora jumped out of the closet fully clothed. He then, tripped over an electrical cord, twirled over to the edge of his bed and hit his face on the metal railing. Kairi and Vivi winced. "Sora, are you okay?" Kairi asked as she stared at the injured brunette.

"Of course I am. It's only my face that feels pain the rest is numb," Sora laughed as he removed his head from his spot of injury, "Hey Kairi, I didn't know you were a quadruplet." Kairi sighed and grabbed the collar of Sora's shirt. "Kairi's, where are you taking me? Hmm, why do you all smell of must?" Sora asked as he sniffed the air.

"If you weren't injured I would slap you," Kairi hissed as she dragged him down the hallway, "This musty girl is taking you to the kitchen where she will give you a bag of ice for your face and hope that it's so cold, it burns."

Sora whined, "That's so mean Kai-Kai."

* * *

Tidus ran wildly through the street as he spread the word of the coming apocalypse. He shrieked upon seeing a strange, white, ugly monster walking toward him. "Oh my god, it's the devil!" he screamed as he turned to run. Unfortunately, he hit face first with a pole. "The devil has set up booby traps everywhere!" Tidus shrieked fearfully.

The white mass yanked Tidus away from the pole. "It's me Yuna, you idiot!" she screamed into his ear. Tidus laughed nervously as his face flushed from his embarrassment. Yuna sighed and took a few deep breaths before speaking again. She had to calm herself down; she was too angry to speak. "Why are you screaming about the end of the world anyway? Your crazy girlfriend put you up to it?" she inquired before she released Tidus from her death grip.

He shook his blonde head. "No, Kairi's gone insane so I'm warning everyone," he explained. Yuna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms indignantly. "Well, I'll be going back to my girlfriend now. I promised to meet her on Oater Street," Tidus added.

Yuna smirked. "You're not going anywhere handsome," she said as she grabbed his shirt collar, "Let's go shopping. I'm sure Selphie will understand. I'm just more important than she is to you right now." Tidus growled and crossed his arms. Yuna grinned triumphantly.

"Hey, Yuna," Tidus called casually.

"What?" she asked curiously. _Chomp._

"You monster! You bit me!" Yuna shrieked as she tried to nurse her injury. Tidus ran free and quickly disappeared around the corner. Yuna screamed and ended up scaring Garnet who just happened to be walking by.

"What's wrong, Yuna?" Garnet asked worriedly. Yuna thrust her marked arm out to show Garnet her injury. Garnet frowned in disgust. "Oh, who did this to you?" she asked as she delicately touched Yuna's wound.

Yuna's face darkened. The opportunity for a rumor had just hit her smack dab on her arm. "That monster Tidus suddenly attacked me screaming that he was going to have me," Yuna cried as she buried her face in Garnet's shoulder, "I fought back, but he bit me and ran away saying he'd get me either way." Garnet was alarmed. She found it hard to believe Tidus would do something like that. "I'm so scared, Garnet!" Yuna cried fearfully.

"But I thought you liked Tidus," Garnet stated as she rubbed Yuna's back in an attempt to console her. There was a thing about girls like Yuna. They could make themselves cry for the sake of a reputation; it was kind of desperate. Garnet frowned as Yuna's sobs became louder. "Come on, I'll take you to my house and we'll have some green tea," Garnet suggested.

* * *

Selphie rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited on the corner of Oater Street. "I wonder if he's done spreading the word of the end?" she thought out loud. She looked around for him, but saw no sign of a blonde boy. She sighed and stuck out her bottom lip. "Tidus," she whined before she crossed her arms.

"You rang?" Tidus chirped as he stood beside his girlfriend; he was still out of breath. Selphie grinned and flung her arms around him. "Wow, that's the best greeting I've ever gotten!" Tidus exclaimed happily before he returned her embrace. Selphie grinned.

"Now come on, Tidy-Widy," she said happily as she grabbed his hand, "Let us go explore!" She proceeded to drag him down the street.

The rest of the day passed by with plenty of 'suspense'. Kairi's dinner was a disaster, which led to Riku's frequent visits to the bathroom that night. Sora, of course, enjoyed the meal very much. His stomach could handle anything, but sadly he was the only one with an invincible stomach. It made Kairi happy, nonetheless.

At school things were a little strange. All of the teachers were suddenly quiet and had passed out a bunch of boring worksheets for their students to do. Unfortunately, the students weren't affected and were as loud and obnoxious as they had always been. In fact, some were even more annoying on this supposedly quiet day.

Rikku and Yuffie proudly walked down the hallway. Their arms were linked and they were happily humming the Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy song. "Yuffie-Chan, I need to visit my locker real quick!" Rikku giggled as she removed her arm from her sister's grasp. She then skipped across the 'interstate' to reach her locker. The hallway was very busy today. Yuffie happily trotted after her sister and stood behind her as she twirled in her combination.

The locker popped open and out flew little index cards each bearing one word. "That's strange," Yuffie mumbled as she bent down to pick one up. She flipped it over and read the word out loud to her sister who was feeling very illiterate today. "Beware? Beware of what the cookie monster?" Yuffie asked.

"No!" Rikku screeched, "He won't get my double fudge chocolate chip delights!" She linked arms with her sister and slammed her locker shut. "Hurry Yuffie, we must go and warn people of the giant cookie monster!" she cried angrily.

Yuffie nodded. "Right!" she agreed. The two hyperactive sisters ran down the interstate of a hallway and chanted out their warnings to random people.

* * *

Kairi was in a surprisingly chipper mood today. She would smile and wave to anyone who passed by, whether she knew him or her or not. Until two seconds ago that is. A certain evil brunette witch and her posse had knocked her down. Now, her school papers were scattered all over the tiled floor. What was even worse was they were getting swept away by the traffic of the hallway. Kairi sighed angrily and slowly began to fetch her papers.

"Hey, let me help you."

She looked up and expected to see Sora, but instead locked eyes with Axel. "Oh thanks, Axel…where'd you come from?" she asked curiously. Kairi only saw Axel in their dance class, so this was a strange occurrence. Axel laughed and handed Kairi her papers.

"Well, I was walking by and saw you on the ground in a circle of free papers, so I thought I'd help out. Is that a problem?" Axel asked before he raised one of his red eyebrows. Kairi quickly shook her head and jumped to her feet.

"Thanks a lot, I'll see you in dance class," Kairi said as she did a small curtsy. She hurried left down the hallway in fear of being late to her next class. Sadly, amidst her efforts she was late, anyway. Sora had luckily saved her seat beside him. She was very thankful.

"Nice of you to enter the room, Ms. Kairi," Mr. Donald quacked as he passed out the worksheets. Kairi simply nodded and slumped down in her seat next to Sora. Sora grinned and waved wildly even though she was right next to him. Kairi smiled and spread her loose papers all over her desk.

'_Looks like I'll have to organize these again, oh joy,' _Kairi thought as she rested her chin in the cups of her hands. Sora raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. It probably wouldn't get him anywhere anyway. Kairi sighed and clumped the papers together and stuffed them into her school bag. "There, all gone," she said happily as she clapped her hands together.

"And I once thought I was lazy," Sora mumbled in awe. Mr. Donald slammed the worksheet onto Sora's desk and scared the poor brunette.

"No talking!" Mr. Donald wailed.

Once school came to an end Roxas was out the door the very second the bell finished ringing. He couldn't wait to see Naminé happily cleaning their environment. He dashed to the mansion and ended up knocking over several townspeople in the process. He didn't even bother to mutter apologies or excuse me's. He arrived at the mansion within five minutes. Now he understood why Beast insisted he do track. He flung open the door excitedly. "Naminé! I'm home!" he cried happily, but instead of being greeted by the beautiful honey blonde he met darkness.

"Naminé, are you home?" he called as he wandered further into their home. He loosened his tie and threw his school bag to the side of the entranceway causing a squeak to erupt. He grinned and leapt on Naminé; he ended up tackling her into the wall in the process.

"Nice to see you too, Roxas," she gasped as she was being crushed underneath his weight, "It'd be an even nicer reunion if I could breathe." Roxas laughed nervously and pulled away allowing Naminé some oxygen and personal space. "Thanks," she mumbled before she inhaled deeply.

Roxas scratched the back of his head. "Did you cut off all the lights in the mansion just to creep me out?" he inquired curiously. Naminé nodded happily. "Well, you sure did a good job, but don't you ever do that again or I'll hide the broom!" Roxas threatened.

"You wouldn't dare!" Naminé seethed.

"Do you want to place a bet on that?" Roxas asked jokingly. Naminé was silent. "Thought so," he stated triumphantly.

The rest of the week flew by nicely. Roxas made sure Naminé took her iron supplements daily and watched her at school to make sure she didn't randomly pass out. She was under high surveillance. Kairi received more evil treatment from the witches, and more courteous treatment from Axel. She found it kind of strange. Sora was too distracted from his excitement of a date that he didn't notice these things. Tidus and Selphie had a rather smooth week, nothing really happened for them. Zidane once again failed in getting Garnet's attention. One would think it were easy to get someone's attention at least once. Now, it was Friday and that meant it was time for Sora and Kairi's wonderful date.

Sora waited impatiently on the front steps of the porch. "Kai-Kai," he whined as he crossed his arms and pouted, "Whatever happened to, oh, I'm not a girly girl I don't take hours to get dressed for an occasion." Sora mocked her using his 'Kairi' voice. He angrily waved his arms around like a buffoon. He grumbled to himself as he tugged on his red jacket. Sora was very impatient.

"Okay Sora, let's go!"

"Finally I-." Sora stopped talking, but his mouth stayed wide open. Kairi stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and messenger bag on her shoulder. She was dressed in a short black skirt that fell to the middle of her skinny thighs. Sora made a mental note to feed her more food. Kairi was also dressed in a long-sleeve black peasant shirt that's sleeves split when they reached her elbow. On top of her shirt was a dark purple corset that was tied with black string. On her feet were dark purple, no-heeled slippers. Regardless of the heavy amount of black she was wearing, Sora was in awe and in 'engawkment'.

Kairi blushed and fiddled her fingers. "Is it too Gothic?" she asked nervously. Sora quickly shook his head. He bit his tongue and resisted the urge to say what he wished. For it would be perverted and very inappropriate. "Well…what do you think of it then?" Kairi pressed.

He tugged at the collar of his jacket; he suddenly felt very hot. "Well I think it looks…" Sora began.

_Say she looks sexy and I want to-_

'_You know what inner perverted-ness shut up.' _

"Sora?" Kairi called as she tapped his forhead. Sora shook his head. "Are you saying I look horrible?" she asked sadly.

"No!" he blurted out. Kairi crossed her arms indignantly. She wanted a straight answer. "I think you look sexy and I want to-," Sora blurted out again, but he quickly stopped himself from finishing his sentence.

Despite his pause, Kairi quickly covered his mouth. Her entire face was red. "I didn't need to know that Sora, but at least you were honest. Now, let's get to the movies before we are late," she said before she released his face and hopped down the porch steps. Sora blinked and thought to himself for a moment before he followed after the embarrassed girl.

The two arrived at the movies and bought their tickets. They would be seeing Forest Gump. Kairi wasn't too thrilled Sora had chosen a comedy movie; she wanted to see a bloody, gory film with plenty of killing scenes. She could've sworn they agreed on a horror film. Unfortunately, Sora was squeamish so it didn't exactly work out too well. After buying the extra large bucket of buttered popcorn and several packages of gum and junior mint candies they were ready to watch the film.

Kairi and Sora occupied two seats in the back of the theatre. Kairi insisted the screen was larger from far back and there would be no heads to bother them because they were the highest up. Sora had never thought of it that way and happily sat down with the candy in his lap.

During the film they weren't exactly what one would call still. Already into one hour in the movie, they had wasted all the candy by throwing it at each other and random people. In fact, Kairi had gotten gum stuck in some lady's hair. They were quiet for five seconds after that. Now, the poor children couldn't stop laughing.

"Sora," Kairi whispered as she poked at the boy's arm.

"What?" he responded as he chewed on the kernels of popcorn in his mouth.

Kairi grinned. "I want some," she whined as she desperately reached for the bucket. Sora's face darkened and he gripped onto the container protectively. He shook his head vigorously; this was an obvious no. "Share!" Kairi exclaimed; this earned her several shushes from the rest of the audience.

"No, it's mine!" Sora protested.

Kairi leapt onto Sora and accidentally caused the entire container of popcorn to spill over the next three rows of seats. Sora and Kairi burst out into loud laughter and fell out of their chairs and onto the dirty, sticky floor.

"Excuse me, but I think you'll have to leave now."

Sora looked up and saw a movie security guard flashing a flashlight their way. "Okay, officer," Sora chuckled as he jumped to his feet. He helped up Kairi and the two left. They laughed all the way out of the theatre. The remaining movie viewers cheered because the disruptive duo was finally gone.

Kairi linked her hands together behind her back and walked happily. The sun had started the set and the sky was painted in beautiful colors. She looked over at Sora who was still getting popcorn out of his hair. "Hey, Sora…" Kairi began.

"Yeah, Kairi?" he replied as he stared at his date.

"Can we go watch the sun set since we got kicked out of the theatre?" she asked innocently. Sora nodded. He had never known Kairi was a sucker for sunsets. In that case, maybe if he took her to go see them regularly he might just get a kiss. Sora grinned evilly. His face resembled that of an evil mastermind's. "What's wrong with your face?" she asked as she took a step away from him.

Sora laughed nervously. "Sorry Kairi, I was just deep in thought," he lied as he put his arm around her. Kairi raised an eyebrow and switched glances between his arm and his face.

"Why is that there?" she asked; she acted as if Sora was diseased. Sora laughed nervously and quickly removed it. Kairi giggled and grabbed his arm putting it back where it was. "Just kidding, Sora," Kairi laughed.

"Wow, you should be an actress!" Sora exclaimed with an astounded look on his face. Kairi laughed and shook her head. Sometimes Sora could be just a little too childish, but it was cute.

_'Here you go again, Kairi, thinking Sora is cute. Well, you know what, random thoughts I'll show you cute! In fact, I'll even show you better…what am I thinking?' _Kairi thought with wide eyes. She quickly calmed herself. "I was cold anyway," Kairi lied as she rested her head on Sora's shoulder. Sora was confused. He knew for a fact it was ninety-eight degrees outside, how was it humanly possible for Kairi to be cold. The outfit she was wearing was completely black, too. He figured it was best not to question her ways.

They arrived at the park within ten minutes. By then, the sun was well on its way to the end of the horizon. Kairi plopped down in the grass and hugged her knees. Sora sat down beside her and stretched out his legs. He laid back on the grass with his arms behind his head. He yawned and blinked twice to re-focus his eyes. He shifted his gaze to Kairi who was curled up in a ball beside him.

"Sora," she whispered almost inaudibly.

Sora perked up and was ready to hear whatever it was that Kairi had to say. She didn't notice his actions and continued to speak. "Remember when I told you I wasn't ready to talk to you about the chicken salad dilemma?" she inquired before she looked his direction. He nodded quietly. "Well, that was connected to my outburst in the kitchen," Kairi confessed.

"Oh," was all Sora could say.

Kairi sighed, "Well, it all goes back to my abusive father who killed my mother and almost killed me too. He said some things to me that kind of left a mark."

Sora jolted up from the ground. "Kairi, what did he say to you?" he asked urgently. Kairi was quiet. It wasn't something she could just say so casually. "What did he say to you?" Sora repeated; he noticed how stiff she'd gotten in the past couple of minutes. He imagined it must've been painful for her to recall.

"I'm a mistake…I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve to be here either. That's why he said nobody can ever love me," Kairi mumbled sadly as her eyes began to water. Sora bit his bottom lip. "And that's why you shouldn't either. It'd just be a waste of your time," Kairi continued.

"No, it isn't!" Sora exclaimed; he roughly grabbed Kairi's shoulders so she had to face him. "I'm not wasting my time at all. I love loving you, if I didn't I'd be insane…more insane. Besides, you aren't a mistake at all," he declared bravely.

Kairi smiled. "Really?" she asked.

Sora nodded as he wiped the small tears that had formed in Kairi's eyes. "You're the most meaningful person I know," Sora cooed. He removed his hands from her shoulders and gently grabbed her hands instead.

Kairi felt her face growing hot. Was it just her imagination or was Sora's head slowly getting closer to hers. Even stranger, she was moving closer to his. Stop involuntary bodily functions! Cease to move!

Kairi suddenly jerked her head closer and kissed Sora on his lips. Sora was quite shocked; he had only moved in closer to give her a hug. He found it interesting how things turned out, but he couldn't say that he wasn't enjoying this. Kairi had managed to knock him to the ground as she continued to kiss him.

Sora was unable to resist her charms any longer and began to return her kisses. There they were in the public park, Kairi on top of Sora, making out. Now, what image did that send to those who just happened to walk by? The two lovebirds didn't seem to notice nor feel the eyes glaring at them.

The sun had set and the park goers were gone. Kairi didn't notice and continued to press herself against Sora. Now, if Sora wasn't the nice boy he was he would have been what many say 'aroused', but he wasn't a slave to his hormones. Sora broke the kiss with much discomfort to the back of his head. "Kairi," he mumbled with a slight frown, "Why'd you do that?"

Kairi frowned at her actions, if that was possible. "Sora, I'm sorry," she apologized as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Sora smiled and returned her hug; he hadn't noticed her sudden sleepiness.

Her eyelids slowly began drooping as she was fighting to stay awake. "Sora," she whispered; she became unaware of her surroundings. She didn't even know what she was saying anymore. "I think I might love you," she quietly confessed.

Sora was taken aback. He turned his head to look at her face. Instead of seeing a pair of amethyst eyes staring back at him, he saw a sleeping girl. He grinned. "Okay, Kairi…goodnight," he gently whispered.

* * *

_A/N: And that's the end of this chapter my friends. Well I'll leave it at that and let you review your thoughts and concerns. Now we can all celebrate that fact that they have kissed twice. Now, when you throw your parties' lol invite me! Lol. Well good night to all! Oh and this may be a little random but...I have his hood! **-high pitched squeal-**  
_


	30. Good Morning Starshine

_A/N: Hello my friends! Now I shall update. I've been quite the lazy bum lately. There's been some stuff going on love confessions you know the works. Now for all those nosey people…I know I'm one myself I will never tell! Okay maybe I will. Anyway now because of the authoress I am I will now force Selphie to talk!_

_Selphie: I like trains!_

_Me: Okay…never mind then let's have a chat with…_

_Fuu: Me!_

_Me: No not you_

_Yuna: Me!_

_Me: No shut up not you!_

_Paine: Me!_

_Me: No Riku! … Riku where are you! Okay folks looks like I'm going to have to go find Riku! –jumps into toy box- I'm coming emo kid!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Good Morning Starshine

"No, I want the waffles with cherry syrup…no, not maple…I'll get my stake, vampire…cherry…"

"Kai-Kai!" _Insert scream here._

Kairi screamed and rolled right off her twin mattress and onto the wooden floor. "Sora!" she shrieked before she grabbed the closest body next to her and strangled it. "I'll kill you, you beast who wakes up people by screaming Kai-Kai in their ear!" Kairi continued to shriek. The auburn rage wasn't aware that it wasn't Sora she was strangling, it was Selphie

"K-K-K-K."

She took the time to glance down at her victim and saw that it was the brunette girl. Kairi growled and released Selphie from her grip. The poor girl had dark handgrips around her neck. It was then she felt remorseful. "S-Selphie?" she peeped, "I'm so sorry!"

Selphie regulated her breathing pattern and glared at her friend. "I feel sorry for Sora now, geez. Anyway, I came in here to tell you something. You're going to be late for school…well, bye!" Selphie chirped before she dashed out of the room. She didn't want to be throttled again.

"Late, eh?" Kairi said with an evil smirk. She lifted herself from the floor and casually sauntered over to her closet. She pulled out her uniform along with a couple of other accessories. She still enjoyed accessorizing.

A pause. "Wait…there isn't school today! Selphie!" she screamed before she threw her clothing back into the closet. She pouted. "And I was going to boycott too," she grumbled as she stormed out of her room and into Sora's. She closed the door behind her. "Sora!" she whined before she jumped on him in his sleep. She ruined his lovely dream.

_"Hey, look an open window! Maybe it has food!" the little, rambunctious brunette boy exclaimed happily. The little body ran over to the side of his victimized house and hoisted himself up the water pipe with his scrawny little arms. He shimmied up the pipe and grabbed onto the open windowsill. With careful precision, he pulled himself onto the windowsill and sat down swinging his legs over the side so he could glide into the room._

_He peeked inside the room. It looked to be a typical girl's bedroom. The walls had been painted pink and were covered in little stick figure pictures made in red and pink crayons. There was a small bed in the corner and a dresser on the other side. The floor was covered in brown carpet and in the center was a crying little, auburn haired girl. The brunette boy noticed the bleeding from her stomach and arms that had leaked all over the floor. It looked as if someone had scraped the skin on her forehead. _

"_Hey, are you all right?" the boy inquired; he kept his distance. The girl didn't answer. He doubted she had even heard him. "I'll go get help, my name's Sora. I'll be right back." With that said he swung his legs back over the window and jumped out. He heard something hit the floor. _

"Sora," Kairi whispered as she gently shook him. Somehow, he still wasn't awake. It was interesting how no matter how hard she jumped on him he wasn't waking up. He had always been the deep sleeper. "Sora. Sora-Sora, wake up," she called.

Sora groaned and rolled over; his eyes were still tightly closed. He grabbed Kairi's waist and pulled her down underneath the sheets. He hugged her like she was a teddy bear. Unfortunately, his actual teddy bear had fallen on the floor; Kairi would now be the substitute. She hid her smile. "Sora, I'm not a teddy bear," she said as she tugged at his arms.

"I want to go too, Miss Rinoa…" Sora groaned.

Kairi perked up. "What did you just say?" she asked as she stared at the sleeping boy suspiciously. Sora groaned and rolled over.

"I want to make sure Kairi's okay….but I-I," Sora continued to groan.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed loudly into his ear.

Sora jolted up and was soon confused by Kairi's presence. "What are you doing here? I thought I put you in your room…I'm still a vir-," Sora began, but Kairi cut him off.

"Sora, shut up! Why were you talking about Rinoa and me and going somewhere?" Kairi said in a rushed, slurred sentence that Sora could barely comprehend. He cocked his head to one side as if to say 'I'm confused'. "In your sleep you were talking about Rinoa and I going somewhere…you wanted to go too," Kairi stated more clearly.

He scratched his head and looked around his room. "I don't even remember what I dreamt, sorry Kai-Kai, but I'll make you breakfast!" Sora cheered before he grabbed her and held her tightly. Kairi blushed as she was pulled into an awkward position.

"Umm," she mumbled as she looked toward the door.

'_I don't think she remembers what she said last night…I guess I'll remind her later,' _Sora thought before he released her and rolled off his bed. "Okay, now I shall go cook!" he said cheerily as he skipped out of his room. Kairi stared blankly; she didn't dare move from Sora's squishy bed.

She placed her hand on his pillow and accidentally fell backward into the mattress. "Why does his bed get to be so soft!" she whined as she burrowed into the cushion. She smiled inhaling Sora's scent, but she also smelt a bit of something else. Had he been eating cookies for a midnight snack again? "I think I might go back…to sleep," she said in mid-yawn.

_Boing_

"Ack!" Kairi felt a tiny pair of feet bouncing on her fragile back. She growled and rolled over to catch a glimpse of blue before the same pair of feet landed on her head.

"Up, lazy!" Vivi screamed as he jumped on Kairi's face with all intentions of smashing it. Kairi screamed and yanked Vivi's legs off of her. She threw him off the bed. The poor little boy landed on his pointy hat that had just been starched. Now, the point of his hat was stuck between the floorboards. Kairi laughed as she rolled out of Sora's bed; the situation was humorous. "Help me!" Vivi squeaked.

She tapped her chin. "No, I don't think I will," she jested.

* * *

Riku had his arms crossed and was leaning against a pole. Directly to his right was Lulu. They were staring across the street waiting for a certain someone. They had called up a pyromaniac to help them with their evil plan for December, which would be arriving within the next week.

"Lulu, where is he," Riku asked in a very agitated, impatient tone. He glared over at the gothic girl who was also searching the street. Lulu narrowed her eyes allowing a low hiss to escape her partially parted lips. She quickly pointed to a moving redheaded figure in the distance. Riku perked up and instantly recognized the pyromaniac as Axel. "Axel is our helper?" he inquired in an almost disbelieving tone.

She turned to look at Riku. She rolled her eyes at his ignorance. "Just trust me, if you're capable of trust," Lulu joked. Riku snarled and looked away. Lulu chuckled quietly. "Cheer up, emo kid," she mocked in a menacing tone. Riku's eyes widened. He turned to insult her but found she was already chatting with Axel.

Axel stuffed his hands in his long, black trench coat. "So, I heard I was needed for some Christmas scam?" he inquired as she stared around at the houses that cluttered the street.

"Yes, we'll let you in on the secret, but you cannot speak a word of this to anyone," Lulu warned, "If you do, there will be consequences."

Axel gulped. He remembered the last time he disobeyed Lulu. One could say he was under the weather for quite a while. In fact, in a figurative sense his head was being shaken inside a pickle jar. "Okay," he squeaked. Lulu grabbed his ear and pulled his head close to her mouth. She quietly began to whisper the plan to him while Riku only glared at the scene. He wondered why he was here in the first place. She wasn't even talking to him…

* * *

"Baku! Where's my blue vest!" Zidane screamed as he dug furiously through his trunk. "Baku!" he screamed again. In situations such as these Zidane resembled a girl. Clothes flew onto the ground and landed in interesting formations all over his room. For some reason, the pairs of shirts, pants, socks, and other things had spelled out Garnet. True devotion.

Blank watched from the doorway. In his hand was a bucket of buttered popcorn. Yes, he found his brother's pain very amusing. "Hey genius," he said before he tossed a kernel at the boy.

"Shut up, Blank. I'm looking for my vest!" Zidane whined as he ate the kernel that had landed in his messy hair. He then, quickly spit it out; it tasted of the hair gel he heavily used.

"But you're wearing it…" Blank sighed.

Zidane paused. He looked at his chest, and truth be told, there was his vest. He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "I knew that…" he trailed off as he looked down at his monkey tail. He glared and mumbled 'I blame you' under his breath. The tail quickly revolted and slapped Zidane in his face. He screamed and fell on the floor. "The hair, it burns!" he screamed as he covered his eyes. Zidane hadn't taken a bath in a while.

Blank sighed, "Baku, get the disinfectant."

* * *

Naminé grinned as she ate her last piece of the pancakes Sora had made. It wasn't a grin of happiness though, more of a grin of mockery. Roxas hadn't been letting her eat normally. Instead of treating her like she had anemia, he treated her like she had diabetes. "Roxas, really, I can eat," Naminé said as she jumped out of her chair.

"Don't jump up like that! You could get hurt!" Roxas exclaimed as he grabbed her plate, "I'll do the dishes."

She stomped her foot. "But I want too!" she whined like a four-year-old would. Roxas was startled by the ear-splitting scream Naminé released. "I want too!" she continued to scream. She was having a tantrum.

"Fine!" Roxas cried. He handed her the plates and fled the room. He didn't like high-pitched noises.

Naminé grinned in success. "Works every time," she laughed before she walked toward the sink.

_"Excuse me, I'd like to make a collect call to Traverse Town. Okay, I'll hold."_

Kairi was happily seated in the living room; she was flipping through a random magazine she found lying on the couch. It was obviously Naminé's due to the fact it was all about cleaning supplies. "Wow, they actually made a grape-scented furniture cleaner," she thought out loud; she stared at the page in awe.

_Ring, Ring_

"I got it!" she screamed loud enough to let everyone in the house know. She yanked the phone away from the receiver. "Hello," she said in an almost annoyed voice. Kairi expected Selphie to be on the other line wanting details about her and Sora's date last night. "Selphie, I told you I'm not-." She was interrupted.

"Hello, Kairi."

She froze. Her heart stopped beating for a brief few seconds as she sat in a petrified state. Her amethyst eyes quickly began brewing fear. The phone slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground; the battery easily snapped out of it.

* * *

_A/N: I wonder who called Kairi. I mean why would she drop the phone like that and have such a dramatic pause. Oh I wonder whom. Darn, I already know. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. You can all thank a special person for snapping me out of my laziness lol. I will not give her name out just because she would probably cripple me Monday. –nervous laugh- I think I'll run for the hills now! Bye!_


	31. Early December

_A/N: Hello friends! Yes I know not much happened last chapter was very uneventful. Well except for Sora's dream and Kairi's mysterious phone call. You all think it was her father, how do you know it couldn't be Rinoa calling about the orphans who got good homes eh? Shoot looks like I just spoiled all who read the disclaimer! Insert evil laugh here. Seriously, it could be someone else._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, though I think you get that so why do I waste valuable seconds in explaining this? Oh…because I can get sued…well I actually don't know if I can. Maybe if Tetsuya Nomura woke up on the wrong side of the bed and saw this I might get sued who knows._

* * *

Chapter Thirty: Early December

"Kairi, dinner!"

She was still completely flabbergasted. She stared at the broken phone that's bits were scattered on the carpet. Taking a deep breath, she gathered the strength to mumble, "C-Coming." This was her hoarse answer as she quietly reassembled the phone. Finally, she came to the conclusion she could not fix it and scooted it underneath the couch. No one needed to know the phone was broken.

Olette quietly served dinner. The brunette hadn't spoken much for the past several days. She would say an occasional good morning, hello, and goodbye; that was it. The only reason she was in the kitchen today was to make sure Sora cooked. No one could take anymore bad dinners and meals.

Sora impatiently tapped his finger on the table as he watched Olette serve tonight's delicacy, fried rice. "Kai-Kai!" Sora exclaimed cheerily as she entered. He immediately jumped from his chair and pulled Kairi's from under the table. "Sit! Sit! Sit!" he ordered with small cries.

Kairi smiled nervously as she took her seat. "Thank you, Sora," she whispered as Sora pushed her in her chair. Sora then plopped back down into his chair beside hers and flashed one of his trademark grins. It was such a grin that it was slightly scaring Kairi. Why was his grin so large? Was it from his natural joy or the fact his hand was resting on her thigh? "Your smile…is scaring me," Kairi deadpanned.

"What? Should I look like Riku?" Sora inquired blankly. He crossed his arms and positioned himself like Riku. "I hate pink," Sora grumbled mockingly. He used his deep 'Riku' voice to speak. Riku flinched and twitched. Sora's display was mockingly disturbing. A low growl erupted from his bowels silencing the goofball. "Never mind," Sora mumbled as his gaze dropped to his large, yellow shoes. Riku smirked and then returned to his mental conversation.

Dinner was being eaten into oblivion. Roxas had been very hungry and even though he had finished his plate, he was still hungry. Naminé ate slowly and quietly; Sora's lack of etiquette still disgusted her. Tidus had also finished his plate, but sadly, was too lazy to remove himself from the table. Olette ate in a melancholy state; she was staring away from the table. It was like she was avoiding eye contact with everyone. Riku just poked the food on his dish; he wasn't very hungry. Sora was currently licking the plate clean; he wanted to savor the yummy flavor of the china. Kairi had lost her appetite. It was awkward but usual silence.

"So...anything good happen lately guys?" Tidus croaked; he felt shameful for breaking the loudest silence in the history of his life. He received no answer. "Come on…Olette? Riku? Roxas?" he tried. Everyone remained silent.

Sora finished his 'make-out session' with the plate and grinned. He wiped his mouth with the glove on his hand. He decided to try and help Tidus break the icy silence. "I…uh…ate a cookie!" he blurted out nervously; he rubbed the back of his neck. For this comment, Sora only received blank, confused stares. "It was…sugary?" he continued.

A sigh. "As interesting as that is…WE DON'T CARE!" Roxas shouted angrily. Sora cringed and hid under the tablecloth; his whimpers echoed underneath the table. "Now shut up and eat, Tidus," Roxas bitterly instructed. Roxas hadn't noticed Tidus's empty plate on the table. He was too blinded by his undying fury.

"Aren't we irritable today?" Tidus grumbled as he stared at his empty plate, "I'm finished anyway…at least, I had a decent day."

Kairi laughed. This sudden, spontaneous laugh caught everyone off guard, even Riku. "I just realized…tomorrow is the first day of December," she announced happily. Riku objected and pulled out his portable calendar. He tossed it to Kairi and showed her that tomorrow would be the twenty-seventh of November. She shook her head. "No, Miss Rinoa and I always thought of the first day of December as a couple of days after Thanksgiving," Kairi explained.

Naminé smiled viciously. "Guess that means I have to start Christmas cleaning tomorrow," she growled; a small smirk had already formed on her fair lips. Roxas wouldn't exactly call them fair. In fact, whenever he kissed her they felt kind of crusty and dry. Of course, being the man that he was, he could never tell Naminé she needed Chap Stick. He knew what the consequence would be for his actions. He would receive a sharp blow to the back of his noggin. There was also the possibility that she might spray Windex in his eyes.

_"Yeah! Christmas shopping!"_

Everyone broke into shrieks and screams. Where had that mysterious, squeaky cheer come from? "Roxas, get the iron bat!" Naminé cried frantically; she pointed toward the closet. The closet tended to hold every weapon and cleaning supply they owned.

"_Iron Bat!-Ahhhh!" _The next sounds the group heard were horrendous. Besides the random, shrill cries they could hear violent sounds. Such as the whapping of tree branches, the paint being ripped off by falling roof shingles, and the crushing of bones. This was all followed by a loud, painful thud.

Kairi cringed. "For some odd reason I think that was Selphie falling off the roof, onto our two foot tree, and onto the ground," she suggested blankly. Olette agreed with a small nod. With speed and accuracy, the girls ran outside to the front porch in search of the bobbed maiden. As Kairi had predicted, Selphie was sprawled out under the tree. "Ooh…" Kairi mumbled; she winced, "We better go pick her up." Olette was equally scared, but she agreed regardless.

An 'eep' was all they heard from Selphie as they lifted her from the ground. "Selphie, are you alright?" Kairi cooed as the three hobbled back to the front porch. Selphie was in a daze; she didn't understand what Kairi was saying to her.

They rushed into the house and laid Selphie on the living room couch. "Sora!" Kairi screamed. She frightened the brunette and caused him to crash into the floor lamp. Kairi sighed and muttered 'hopeless' under her breath.

"What! Is it the end of the world?" Sora screamed. The scream he had heard from Kairi had scared his very being. In his overly dramatic world, he had imagined her being ripped to shreds, limb by limb by some strange, inhumane monster. In fact, the image had been so vivid in his small mind he felt her unique pain. Kairi blinked. "I'm done rambling," Sora squeaked.

"Okay, can you get an ice pack from the freezer and bring Tidus in here?" Kairi asked in a sweet tone.

Sora grinned. He loved her sweet voice. "Yes, mademoiselle!" he said happily. He quickly left the living room to go complete his duty.

Selphie groaned. "Kairi, my arms feel numb!" she whined. Kairi was just glad she could talk.

"If your arms are numb you can't feel them…but I get what you're saying," Kairi replied in a nonchalant, sarcastic tone. Selphie whined again as she stared at her arms to reassure herself that they were there. "I don't think they're broken they might just be bruised from the fall," Kairi assured.

"But I can't feel them," Selphie replied. She continued to whine.

"Shut up, I'm trying to formulate a hypothesis!" Kairi cried.

"Your big words are giving me a headache!" Selphie cried as she shook her head from side to side. "Make the pain go away, Kairi! Be my mercy angel!" she cried. Kairi struck Selphie across her face.

"Get it together!" Kairi cried. Selphie whined louder now; she didn't like the stinging pain on her cheek. Tidus entered the living room with the ice pack and…himself.

"Selphie!" he exclaimed as he rushed over to her. "What happened to you? A-And why were you on the roof?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow. Selphie only whined and cried about her poor forlorn arms and how mother was beckoning her to the light. Tidus paused and thought for a minute. "Wait a minute…your mom's still alive," Tidus added.

Selphie laughed nervously. "There's a teeny possibility…what happened to the pity? I need more…pity. I need more…victims!" she exclaimed with more whines.

Olette bit her bottom lip. '_This is amusing…though, I shouldn't be laughing since she's hurt…'_ Olette thought as she turned to leave the room. She planned to go to the kitchen and call a professional doctor to check on Selphie, as well as Selphie's non-deceased mother.

* * *

Before anyone could think, the school week began with all its torment and wonder. Sadly, Mr. Mickey would be out this week; he was on a vacation with Mrs. Mouse, or known to some of the school's poets, Ms. Minnie. Naminé found the entire idea totally adorable and began to wish that Roxas would go on a vacation with her. Her wishes were secret, anyway. She'd never admit that to herself or anyone else.

In P.E., she was happily seated on the bleachers. She was sketching a picture of a running, sweaty Roxas. She smiled contently as she fixated herself with the drawing of his eyes. Naminé let out a small squeal. Her favorite part about Roxas was his eyes, his beautiful cerulean eyes. She'd never admit that either.

Roxas paused on the track. "Naminé, why are you squealing at yourself?" Roxas asked curiously; his head tilted to one side. She froze and laughed nervously.

"Nothing…nothing at all. Now go along and run!" Naminé ordered.

He blinked. "Okay…" he muttered slowly. He would never understand girls.

* * *

Today was the day the world had flopped upside down. Everyone watched, bewildered, as she walked down the hallway in her mass of red and green decoration. Her uniform had been transformed into something that could resemble a Christmas tree. She was dressed in green and red stockings along with her usual uniform, but there was a change. To keep her warm she had a green sweater that said 'Happy Holidays' on the back in bright red letters. On her head was a Santa hat with a jingling bell at the end. The bell flashed red and green simultaneously with each step she took. Around her neck was a necklace made of Christmas lights; they flickered around her neck. This spirited girl was none other than Kairi.

Her accomplice, Sora, walked beside her; he was happily carrying her books. "So Kairi, why are you so happy about this holiday?" he asked. What he meant to ask was, why are you dressed like that? He had never seen her so festive about anything before. "I mean, I always thought you were a little depressed and this is like your opposite…you look so happy," Sora explained.

Kairi giggled. "Well, it is the greatest time of year!" she exclaimed happily. She threw her arms around his neck.

Sora blushed. Kairi was very touchy today. "But it's not even December yet," he mumbled quietly.

She ignored his comment. "When we get home we'll have to go shopping for Christmas lights. If you see the others be sure to tell them!" she exclaimed as she thrust her fist into the air. Kairi was acting much like a female version of Sora. She completely flipped personalities overnight. "I can't wait to decorate the mansion. It'll be the most festive masterpiece on the block! Even if nobody lives on our street it'll be so bright everyone can see it!" Kairi declared.

Sora grinned; he couldn't help but share Kairi's excitement. "Yeah! It'll be so bright and colorful it will blind-sight drivers when they pass by!" Sora added excitedly. Kairi giggled. Her giggling was music to his ears. This new, happy Kairi was so joyful and bubbly. Perhaps it truly was the greatest time over year? Even if it was still November. His cheeks suddenly turned red. An idea popped into his head. "Kairi, do you think we should buy…mistletoe?" he asked choking out the last word. He felt his cheeks heat up.

"Why, of course, Sora-Sora! Mistletoe is one of the many wonders of Christmas. Miss Rinoa always used to buy some back at the orphanage," Kairi replied with a nod of her head, which was followed by a jingle of her hat.

"Kai-Kai, you made up a nickname for me!" Sora said happily. Kairi nodded with an innocent smile. "I like it!" he declared with a grin.

Now, as happy as these two were there were also some who weren't very happy. In fact, they were the complete opposite of happy. The whole idea of Christmas sickened these people. One of these people just happened to be Riku. He stared darkly at the assignment that had been placed in front of him. He wasn't really concentrating on his work. He was more focused on Kairi's sudden jolt of Christmas spirit. He had always hated the entire month. It was the month of his many defeats.

_Ashe Tomoshiro_

_April 1974 - December 1990 _

"Stupid December," Riku muttered under this breath. He glanced over at Lulu who was busily doing her work. He knew she wasn't really paying attention to the wonders of Biology, but rather their plan to ruin this holiday. His only concern was Kairi at the moment. After seeing her extraordinary display this morning, he wasn't sure how she would react to their plan. Riku didn't want to hurt her, but it had to be done.

A small note flew over onto Riku's desk. He quickly snatched it up and hid it under his desk. From the writing and the ink color he could tell it was Lulu's. Dark purple had always suited her strange tastes. He unfolded the ghetto, but ordinary lined piece of paper and started to read the writing that had been scribbled inside.

_Talk. Now. Bathroom. Which? Girls._

_-Lulu_

Riku chuckled. She was never one to use complete sentences, was she? His aquamarine eyes traveled up to the teacher. He caught a glimpse of Lulu flicking him off as she exited the classroom with the brandished hall pass. A small smile crept on his face. Lulu would only flick him off if there something serious she had to tell him. She had a strange way of doing things. He removed himself from his chair and strolled over to the teacher's desk. As if there was a telepathic connection between them, the teacher automatically handed Riku the pass and sent him on his way. Lulu must've been practicing her magic again.

Lulu had her arms crossed as she impatiently waited for Riku to enter the bathroom door. She hated the way Riku liked to walk one mile per minute. For an emo kid, he was a very slow-paced person, not mentally, of course. Riku finally slipped into the girl's bathroom much to Lulu's surprise. Other times she had asked him to come, he refused. He must have seen the skin of her middle finger. She smirked. "You came?" she jested as she removed her back from the tiled wall.

"The girl's bathroom smells much better than the boy's," Riku muttered as he inhaled the strong scent of perfume. "What is it that girl's do in here…" he trailed off into his own thoughts. Girls were an enigma to him. Lulu punched his arm snapping him out of his 'deep' thoughts.

"You can space out later, I've obviously called you here for a reason," Lulu began. She stared straight in his eyes to make sure she had his full attention. "I'm sure you remember our previous conversations about a certain subject," she continued in a matter of fact tone.

_Lulu and Riku were seated at their emo table eating their disgusting lunch off of their disgusting trays. Lulu had something on her mind. Usually she took rather large, manly bites out of her spaghetti and meatballs, but she was eating so slowly and carefully. It scared Riku. "What's the matter with you?" Riku asked with the raise of his eyebrow._

"_I've been thinking," Lulu began, "About us." _

_Riku nodded. "Continue," he ordered. _

_She glared. Oh, how Lulu hated the word 'continue', it sounded too demanding. "Anyways, I've noticed I have a certain earthly attachment towards you. You are becoming a special thing in my life. As quacks would say 'a constant'," Lulu explained almost viciously. _

"_So, what are you saying, Lulu?" Riku asked; he was completely unaware of what she was trying to say. This type of thing had never sincerely happened to Riku. Sure, he had fan girls, but there was nothing genuine about their love confessions. _

_Lulu rolled her eyes. "Idiot. I want to be yours," she deadpanned rather bluntly. _

_Riku paused. "I see," Riku murmured emotionlessly. His aquamarine eyes stared down at his lunch plate. _

Riku nodded. He remembered the conversations quite clearly. This was mainly because they always ended the same way."Yes, I believe I remember them," Riku replied before he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. He was slightly surprised the uniforms even had pockets. Riku wasn't really paying much attention to his apparel; it was more of a strange reflex to intimate situations. He felt slightly uncomfortable. "So, I'm guessing now is the time?" he asked; he was referring to another one of the conversations they had had. Lulu had mentioned there was a time for their 'get-together'.

"Yes, now is the time," Lulu stated, "So then, are we what those people call 'official'?"

Riku nodded slowly. "So, now you're mine and I'm yours," he concluded rationally. Lulu nodded just as slowly. Her dark eyes studied his every movement.

"Great," she muttered.

"Yeah," Riku added.

* * *

_A/N: That my friend's is the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Its more eventful than the last one I'll tell you that much. Perhaps its because I wrote half the chapter when I was bored in my class, who is to know. Anyways now there is an emo bond going on between Lulu and Riku if you caught on. Roxas is still his irritable, confused self. Olette's a little bit too quiet. Selphie is damaged. Kairi is out of her almost emo mind. What emo do you know of being that festive? Perhaps that's why she is almost emo, are you following me? Lol. Well please review if you can and see you in the next chapter!_


	32. Mistletoe

_A/N: I've got this bad cause of rambling. I seriously can't stop. I mean I'll have good intentions of having a well conversation then suddenly when its supposed to be over I'll draw it on and on. I'm surprised no one has walked away yet. I mean I would walk away if someone just keep going on and on forever and ever about the same subject occasionally repeating themselves. Its very boring and irritating don't you agree? I mean don't you wish that person would just shut up! It's so annoying after awhile you just want to grab a knife and ram them in the heart because they're being so darn agitating. I think you all get the point…did I just ramble again?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I do own a copy and it's so awesome!_

_

* * *

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Chapter Thirty-One: Mistletoe

"Did you get the information?" Fuu asked in a frightening tone. She was so frightening Olette couldn't help but yelp at the sound of her voice. "Well, did you or did you not?" Fuu impatiently asked. Olette slowly nodded her head; she instantly regretted it. "Well, get it!" the furious woman shouted. Olette quickly opened her bag and pulled out a small black book. "Good work. Now, go away before someone sees you," she absent-mindedly ordered. Fuu had what she wanted and didn't need Olette any longer.

This verbal abuse had become normal for Olette. She nodded and quietly walked away. She hugged herself as she walked away. She desperately wished she didn't have to go to school tomorrow, but she knew she had to. At least today, Yuna wasn't with Fuu. Olette still had the claw marks in her right arm from the last time Yuna interrogated her. It wasn't that that was painful though, it was the fact she had to lie to everyone about it, including Hayner. She hated lying.

"Hey, Olette!"

_'Speak of the devil…'_ "Oh…hi," Olette mumbled as she nervously waved. Hayner frowned as he stared at her frail figure. She hadn't been happy lately. Olette hadn't been acting normally either. She seemed to mope around only pausing to mumble a 'hello' or 'goodbye'. In fact, sometimes she had forgotten to say even that much. He worried for his girlfriend.

Hayner jumped in front of her before she could turn the corner. It was time for intervention. "Olette, what's wrong with you? You've been acting so weird lately. Tell me," Hayner asked; his face was full of concern. She simply shook her head and stepped to the side. Hayner wouldn't take that; he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. "What's going on with you?" he asked again.

"I'm fine!" she shouted before she suddenly yanked her arm out of his grasp, "I'm just fine." She tried to convince herself of this. Her voice had become raspy and shaky. Olette was about to break. "N-Nothings wrong," she continued to stubbornly say. Sadly, everything was wrong.

"Olette," Hayner cooed; he cautiously stepped toward her, "Olette, come on, just tell me. I can make everything better." Olette quickly turned away from him and vigorously shook her head. She couldn't tell, she wouldn't tell, she had to tell...

"I'm tired of keeping this secret!" Olette exclaimed frantically. Her entire body had started shaking and it scared Hayner. He frowned. Olette began to cry despite her wishes. "Why can't they just leave me alone, Hayner?" she asked through her pitiful sniffles. He smiled weakly. He didn't know what Olette was talking about, but he would try his best to console her anyway. After all, what were boyfriend's for?

"Come on Olette, I'll walk with you," he whispered tenderly; he tightly grabbed her hand to comfort her. "You can tell me about it when you're ready," he suggested with a small smile. She nodded and rested her head on his chest.

"I'll tell you..." Olette regretfully whispered.

* * *

Selphie laughed as she watched Tidus try to balance their plates. It had been hard for her to get around school since the accident. She couldn't carry a thing and so many different people had to help her. "Selphie, why do you eat so much?" Tidus whined; he was barely able to hold the weight of her tray. Selphie shrugged casually. They reached their table, and Tidus was relieved to set Selphie's tray on the table. "There you go," he announced happily. She sat down in a school chair and smiled. It was then it donned on her.

She looked down at her arm wraps. "Umm, Tidus, how do I eat? My muscles hurt!" she whined as she tried to reach the fork. She wasn't having much luck. Tidus watched Selphie curiously; his face suddenly turned red at the embarrassing thoughts that entered his mind. "Can you feed me!" she begged; she gave him the 'cursed' puppy dog face. Tidus cringed; it was as if Selphie was a mind reader.

"Not the look!" he cried as he shielded his eyes with his hands. Selphie puckered out her bottom lip and remained silent. She knew very well he wouldn't be able to keep his arms up all day, and would eventually give in to feeding her. It was how their relationship worked. So until then, Selphie would stare at her food longingly as her stomach growled.

Tidus knew her strategy, and it did always work. He sighed; he knew there was no point in fighting her. "Fine, I'll feed you. Just don't do the look. One day you'll end up putting me in fetal position, you know," he chuckled. Selphie grinned and giggled happily. She had never been fed before. Tidus looked nervously at her tray. "Okay…" he murmured as he nervously tugged at his collar.

* * *

Naminé wasn't in the cafeteria for lunch today. She decided she would get away and continue a secret sketch she was making Roxas for Christmas. She smiled as she sketched the lines that would soon form her picture. She giggled as she accidentally made a stray mark. "I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of those," she grumbled; her happy mood evaporated and was replaced with frustration. She bit her bottom lip; she looked as if she was pouting at her picture.

"Come on now, all you have to do is be still," she cooed before she erased all the marks on the page. Naminé's frustration continued to rise, and it wasn't because of the paper. Someone was standing behind her. She could feel their nagging presence; she knew who it was. It just had to be him. "Roxas!" she exclaimed fearfully as she quickly hid the blank page. Though, it wasn't Roxas who was standing behind her, it was Garnet. Naminé slowly blinked and uncovered her paper. "What are you doing here?" she inquired with a confused look on her face.

Garnet only smiled and took a glance at Naminé's sheet. "It's a shame that you erased it, it looked very nice. Well, see you around, Naminé," she said quietly, but shyly. Garnet smiled and quickly walked out of the door. Yuna, Paine, and Fuu would be wondering where she had gone. She had only entered the room to get a paintbrush, paint, and some paper. Yuna had requested she get it for her. But when she saw Naminé busily working, she couldn't ignore her curiosity.

Yuna, Paine, and Fuu were waiting in the girl's bathroom. Garnet quickly entered the room and shut the door behind her. "What took you so long?" Yuna grumbled as she snatched the supplies out of Garnet's hands. She rolled her eyes and tossed all but the stack of paper to Paine. "Now, you must help us make the signs, okay Gar-Gar?" Yuna instructed as she mocked Sora's strange habits. Garnet nodded and quickly walked over to where Fuu and Paine were waiting for the paper.

"This'll be great," Yuna laughed as she set the paper down on the bathroom floor. They began busily working away at their posters. Each one had the same message. It was the beginning of Yuna's master plan. First, she would get into Kairi's household and mess things up. Not just her household, but one of her friendships as well.

* * *

School came to an end, and Sora was dragged out by Kairi to go buy Christmassy things to decorate the mansion with. The others had left it to them, because they were the most spirited in the mansion. Also, because the rest were more than lazy. Kairi had her arm linked with Sora's some time during the walk. She was also sneaky enough to rest her head on his shoulder. "So Sora-Sora, what kind of lawn ornaments should we get? I saw some cute light up reindeer on the way to school!" she asked excitedly.

"We could get those! Oh! And a light-up sleigh with a Santa Claus for the roof, Kai-Kai!" Sora shouted; he resisted the urge to jump happily. If he did, Kairi might not want to rest her head on his shoulder. Though she had been there for the majority of their walk, he was still blushing from their closeness. Kairi giggled and nodded; she liked Sora's idea. Her index finger suddenly flung out toward a yard sale that was straight ahead of them. She could see many strings of lights and ornaments. "Let's go!" Sora exclaimed. He quickly lifted her from the ground and carried her bridal-style as he ran toward the yard sale.

Kairi laughed, "Sora! Put me down you'll tri-." It was too late. Sora tripped over a rock and the two flew into the yard of the sale. They landed in a pile of piggy bank statues. Sora had somehow landed on top of Kairi. His legs were between hers and his head was jutting into her neck. Kairi squirmed. Her oxygen was being cut off and the piggie's ears were jutting into her back."So-Sora," she gasped.

Sora was now completely and fully bloodshot red. He jumped to his feet only to fall backward. Kairi rolled over onto the grass and away from the motionless stampede. She glanced over at Sora who looked very red. "Sora, is there something wrong?" she asked. She began to crawl toward him creating grass stains on her green stockings.

He only laughed nervously and shook his head. "Come on, let's get to shopping then," he said with a grin, then paused. "Did I just say that?" he muttered under his breath. He watched as Kairi laughed at him.

She smirked. "Turning into a girl, aren't we Sora?" she teased as she lifted herself from the ground. Sora could only blink. He really didn't know how to answer that. The only way he could check was by unzipping his pants, but he wasn't going to do that in front of Kairi. So, he simply shook his head and stood up. "Okay, come on Sora-Sora, let's go look at the lawn ornaments!" Kairi declared excitedly. She grabbed his hand and ran across the yard toward where the cute ornaments were being sold.

Sora blushed and tried to shield his cheeks. Kairi didn't seem to notice. She stared at all the lit-up ornaments; she didn't know which one she wanted. Sora leaned in and squinted his eyes. It was hard to make out distinct shapes because of the large amount of light coming from one area. "Hey, how about the worker elves, Kai-Kai? We could make our lawn Santa's workshop," he suggested; he managed to point them out.

He heard her squeal. "That's a great idea! Hey! Can someone help us!" she shouted as she turned to wave over the owner of the yard sale.

A blonde woman walked over to Sora and Kairi. She smiled. "Sora and Kairi, right?" she asked.

"How do you know us?" Sora questioned with a tilt of his head. He couldn't recall ever meeting this woman, nor had he done anything to this lawn so…how?

The woman giggled. "I am Yuffie and Rikku's mother, of course. It's nice to finally meet you both. They tell me so much about you, but anyway, did you come to buy something from the sale?" she asked as she peered at her old lawn ornaments, "Did you want one of those?" Kairi nodded eagerly. Mrs. Kirisagi smirked, "Okay, I'll give them to you for free on one condition."

"We'll do anything!" Kairi exclaimed as her excitement rose, "What is it?"

The lady grinned. "You two must kiss under the mistletoe," she answered cheerily. The color of both Kairi and Sora's faces disappeared. Mistletoe, kissing? She laughed, "That's what you have to do." Sora and Kairi glanced at each other; they wondered what they should do. Yuffie and Rikku appeared from nowhere and began to skip around them with mistletoe in their hands. It almost seemed like the family planned this. Yuffie and Rikku's father was holding a camera ready to take a shot.

Kairi blushed and looked at the ground. _'I can't do it…not in front of all these people,'_ she thought anxiously. If she wanted these lawn ornaments for free she would have to kiss him and have a picture taken of it as well. She nervously rubbed her right arm. Perhaps she could just pay for them with the munny she had on her?

"Umm," Sora mumbled; he felt like everyone was staring at him. It was true, everyone was staring at him. He made a mental note to not come back here next year. He looked down at Kairi who had her eyes fixated on the grass. He gulped down his nervous spit. _'Here goes nothing,' _he thought anxiously.Sora tenderly touched her arm. She looked up at him and stared directly into his eyes. It almost made him feel guilty; she looked so nervous.

He took a deep breath and went for it. Sora leaned in and closed his eyes. Kairi leaned forward and pushed her head toward his lips. Their lips met and their eyes flashed wide open. It sounded like there was some sort of applause. They both looked around and found themselves staring at a camera flash. The picture instantly slid out and fell onto the freshly cut lawn. Mr. Kirisagi picked up the picture and showed it to them. It featured two kissing, blushing teenagers staring at the camera with wide eyes.

"That's so cute!" Rikku and Yuffie squealed in unison. Kairi quickly snatched the picture away and tucked it in her pocket. Her face was still completely red.

"I agree!"

Sora and Kairi looked behind then and saw their entire household cheering and clapping. Kairi gasped and screamed. "What are you all doing here?" she asked in her angry voice, "I thought you all were at home doing that stuff you do!" She was freaking out. Sora stood there quietly, still blushing.

Tidus laughed. "No, you see, the Kirisagi's and all of us made this plan to get you two to do that, so yeah. We knew Kairi couldn't resist a yard sale. Oh, and Sora don't worry we got a picture of that falling incident as well," Tidus snickered; he held up the picture, "Man, does that look inappropriate or what?" He laughed loudly.

Naminé laughed and agreed. "You two are very naughty! No gifts for you!" she teased as she made faces at the two of them. Roxas laughed and pointed at Sora's burning face as he did. Kairi growled began to chase after the three blondes. She was furious.

"I'll kill you!" she screamed as she chased them down the street. Once they had run around the street corner Sora did his victory dance.

"Yes!" he exclaimed as he jumped and thrust his fist into the air. "I kissed Kairi! I kissed Kairi! I kissed Kairi! I kissed Kairi! I kissed Kairi!" he chanted as he began to skip around the area joyously. He had been tickled pink, figuratively. Once all the joy was out of him, he managed to calm himself down. He then turned his attention to the lawn ornaments. "Now, can we please have those lawn ornaments?" he inquired.

* * *

That night, Kairi was up late reading 'A Christmas Carol'. Her Santa hat was still on her head. She giggled as she read the words on the page. It was rare that there was a funny part in such a book, but she was too happy to notice. She made a face and stuck her tongue out at the book. "Silly Scrooge, you should've donated!" she said laughing as she did. It was rare that Kairi had such happy moments. She giggled again and turned the page.

_Boom!_

She screamed and buried herself under her covers. Lightning flashed from outside the window and Sora came rushing in. The lights flickered off and the power was gone. It didn't really matter since everyone was asleep, except for Kairi and the newly awakened Sora. Sora stood in her doorway only wearing his boxers. They were white and had red hearts all over them. "Kai-Kai, are you all right?" he asked; her scream had alarmed him. He spotted her shuddering underneath her blanket.

He closed the door and walked over to her. "Kai-Kai, what's wrong?" he cooed as he gently removed the covers. "Is it because of the thunder storm again? It's just a storm and it'll be over by tomorrow. It's not scary, it's…science! Yeah, science," he explained as he tried to assuage her fears.

Kairi wrapped her arms around Sora's bare chest. "But I can't help it! It's just so scary," she whined; she reminded Sora of a small child. Still, reminder or not, he couldn't help but blush as she cowered into his bare chest. "And now I can't finish reading my book because the power went out," she stated sadly.

"Well, I could stay in here for the night…I guess. I mean, if you want me too that is," he mumbled. Before he could say anything else, Kairi pulled him under the covers. She clung to him like he was her teddy bear. Sora felt quite awkward being this close to her. He heard her breathing slow. She was falling asleep. Kairi's grip started to loosen as she drifted into her dreams. "Goodnight, Kai-Kai," he whispered before he planted a kiss on her forehead. He wrapped his arms around her waist and fell asleep.

* * *

_"But Daddy, I cooked it just right!"_

_The smaller version of Kairi cried, her entire body shaking with fear. She was dressed in a small pink nightgown that looked like it belonged to a two year old. Her teary amethyst eyes stared up at her father who only scowled. She whimpered and turned around to run away. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked curtly as he yanked her arm back. Kairi screamed. _

_Her father dragged her down the hallway and into her room. He slammed the door behind him. "Are you trying to poison me?" he shouted; he picked up a belt from the floor. Kairi screamed and ran to the corner of the room. Her father chased after her, and ended up destroying her toy creations in the process. "Are you?" he screamed again as he hit her back with the belt. It was the only thing left vulnerable as she hugged her knees. He released the belt and let it fall to the ground._

_That wasn't all he would do to her tonight. He grabbed a knife out from his jacket and flipped Kairi over. She screamed in horror; her eyes were glued to the blade. "Please!" she begged as she tried to disappear into the wall. The man only laughed and began to dig the blade into the flesh of her stomach. She could smell the liquor on his breath. She screamed and cried for him to stop, but he didn't. He only continued to carve deeper and deeper. Blood began to seep onto the carpet. _

_Her screams fuelled his anger. In a fit of anger he slashed at her arm and nearly missed her wrist. He threw down the knife and grinned at her; he looked psychotic. Her nightgown was now drowning in blood from new wounds and old ones. The carpet was also stained with blood. He snickered before he left the room; he locked her inside. _

_She continued to cry knowing he wouldn't be back in hours. In fact, scenarios were already forming in her head. She didn't want to die in this room, and if she did, she wasn't going to die alone. Kairi whimpered and began to crawl on her hands and knees. She crawled to the middle of the room in search of her teddy bear. But she was unable to go any farther because of the pain. Blood continued to fall onto the carpet as she began to lose consciousness. Then, she heard a voice. _

"_Hey, are you all right?" _

_She stared at the boy in awe. Her vision was fading and she couldn't get a good glimpse of who it was. Everything was spiraling and turning dark. Kairi squinted her eyes in an attempt to focus her vision._

"_I'll go get help, my name's Sora. I'll be right back."_

_She made out a sympathetic grin on his face. Kairi widened her eyes still trying to get a good look. She saw a tanned face. He had cerulean eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness. His hair was a chocolate brown and very messy. "Sora," she mumbled inaudibly before she collapsed onto the ground unconscious. _

_

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_A/N: And now you know what exactly happened that night. Yeah, that was interesting to write if I do say myself. Anywhos I hope you liked this chapter. I can't really tell if it was melancholy or happy, I suppose you all can decide. Anyways, thank you for reading and review if you would like. See you all again in the next chapter! Say, I'm feeling generous…sneak preview anyone?_

**Selphie continued to cry. "Yuna, what's wrong with you? Tidus didn't do any of that a-and now he's g-gone!" she cried staring at the girl with hatred in her eyes. "Why did you do that to him?" she demanded stomping her foot onto the ground.**

**Yuna laughed. "Aren't you a mess of emotions? Blue doesn't suit you Selphie, but this wasn't me. It was all Kairi's idea. Blame Kairi, she put your boyfriend in jail," she explained in a soft voice. Yuna smiled sympathetically. "It was all her idea, we told her not too but she insisted on it. When we refused to help her she went on and did it herself."  
**

**"…****Kairi?" **

"**Kairi!" **

"**Sora!" **

**Sora ran over to Kairi as she was being dragged away towards the black van. He grabbed onto her wrist and began to tug in the other direction. "Kairi! I remember now! I remember everything!" Sora exclaimed trying his hardest to resist the pull of the guards, but they were too strong. **

**She smiled. "You remember that you saved me? You remember everything?" she inquired grabbing Sora's wrist the best she could. Kairi didn't want to go. **

"**Hey get off of her!" **

"**Sora-!" **

**"…"**

_Now, if you're the excited reviewers and readers, I think you are that might've confused you and got you even more enthused. Though, I must warn you. I never said those excerpts would be in the next chapter…_


	33. School Wide Chaos

_A/N: I love you all! Not in that way sicko. Lol, I couldn't resist, but anyways. Don't you all just love my evil ways? Giving you excerpts that couldn't even be in this chapter. That's an what the heck moment, isn't it? Anyway we'll see how long this chapter is. So on with the chapter! For some reason I keep getting typos when I type…Oh! Before I start those who might be wondering about Yuffie and Rikku's last name I have an explanation. I know its originally Kisaragi for Yuffie, but I had to tweak it for Rikku. So don't worry I'm not like, what's the word…clueless? Anyways continue on!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

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Chapter Thirty-Two: School-Wide Chaos

_Sora…_

"Sora!"

Kairi's eyes flashed open as another strike of lightning hit the ground. She quickly glanced around her dark room; she found it hard to make out the outline of anything in her room. It was like a pitch-black abyss with walls. She turned her head and heard Sora talking in his sleep about pancakes. "You saved me…you, the lazy bum, actually saved my life?" she questioned; a smile formed on her lips.

She poked his face at an attempt to wake him, but he only tried to turn away. Kairi grabbed his shoulders and kissed where she thought was his mouth; she guessed right. Kairi had made one mistake, though. She had just kissed a sleeping, hormonal, teenage boy. Kairi's eyes widened as she felt his tongue submerge itself into her mouth. He tasted like sugar cookies…

"Sora," she attempted to say, but her words came out muffled as she was forced into this one-sided dream make-out. He grunted and rolled on top of Kairi. She twitched as she tried to push him off of her. _'Sora's a pervert in his sleep…silly boy,' _she thought. Sora's hands snaked their way down to her shirt and began to tug up; he was trying to take it off. That was the last straw. Her face flushed red. She raised her legs and kicked Sora off of her. He flew off the bed.

She crawled over to the side of her bed to make sure Sora was okay. He was on the ground rubbing his head. "What happened?" he thought a loud. His mind seemed blank.

"Sora…never mind. But do you remember anything from your childhood…suppose, a bloody girl?" Kairi inquired as she helped him back onto the bed. Sora tilted his head; he was clearly confused by her question. She sighed. "Don't you remember poking your head inside a girl's bedroom window?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "No, why would I do that? I'm not perverted," Sora answered honestly. At the moment, that sounded quite strange to Kairi. She could only remember the last couple of things he did to her in his sleep. "Kairi, you're acting strange, but I guess since it's the middle of the night it can slide. So, just go back to bed," he advised as he pulled the blanket over their bodies, "Goodnight, Kai-Kai."

Kairi sighed. "Goodnight, Sora-Sora," she mumbled. She turned to face the window. She watched as the rain droplets slid down the windowpane. "Why don't you remember me?" she thought out loud with another sigh. It was so Sora-like to forget something like that. He always seemed to forget important things. She was about to let out another frustrated sigh when she felt arms wrap around her waist.

"Goodnight usually means, 'Oh, I'm going to sleep now,'" Sora teased in his 'Kairi mocking' voice. She rolled her eyes. "So, I'm not going to go to sleep until you do," he added.

Kairi sighed. "So, you're just going to lay awake in my bed with your heart boxers on, hugging me?" she inquired; she couldn't help but snicker as she did. "Where and why did you get those Sora? Are you trying to imply something with your choice of underwear?" Kairi teased with a secret smirk. She would first tease his underwear, and then, slowly move up to his choice of clothing style. What a perfect plan, indeed.

The color of Sora's face flushed. He cleared his throat and rolled over. "Umm, j-just go to sleep," he muttered; he covered his shame underneath Kairi's comforter. Kairi giggled and removed the comforter for Sora's head. She could now clearly see his rosy cheeks and wide cerulean eyes. Kairi thought he looked cute.

She giggled again. "Silly Sora, well goodnight, and don't suffocate under those covers, okay?" she teased as she sunk underneath her covers. Kairi yawned and shuffled next to Sora. She mumbled another goodnight and then drifted back into her dreamland. This time she wasn't interrupted by a horrible flashback of the past.

_Kairi skipped around the garden of the orphanage laughing and playing with the other girls her age. They were all very excited today, after all, it was Rinoa's birthday. They wanted her to have a special day. They skipped toward Rinoa's office with gifts and a small cake. _

"_She'll be so excited won't she, Kairi?" a small blonde girl inquired with a smile, "I made sure this cake was the tastiest there ever was!" The other girls nodded in agreement. _

_Kairi only giggled and flipped her hair. "And we invited everyone to her surprise party, so it'll be great! Hey, did one of you guys ever invite Mrs. Trepe? I'm sure Miss Rinoa would like if she attended," Kairi asked. _

_The orange haired girl shook her head. "No, nobody could get in contact with her," she explained with a sigh, "I hope she doesn't mind that her best friend won't be there." _

_Kairi frowned and thrust her fist into the air. "No! I will find a way to get her here!" she declared happily. The girls were unaware of the pair of cerulean eyes that were watching them. _

"_Kairi, wake up." _

_Kairi blinked. "Huh?" _

"_Kairi, wake up!" _

**Thud. **

Sora grinned as he watched Kairi open her eyes. He put his hands on his waist; his face was beaming his triumphant attitude. "I woke you!" he cheered. He was already dressed in his school uniform. She jumped to her feet. "Now, go get dressed and I'll continue making breakfast," Sora instructed.

Kairi grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Might I ask what time it is?" she inquired as politely as she could. She found it quite hard to be polite knowing he had just knocked her to the ground.

"Six, of course," he replied as he pried her hands off of his collar. He could see her growling under her breath. Sora was very aware of the fact that she liked to get up at six forty. He had just decided to ignore that detail. He gulped and quickly placed the Santa hat on her head.

A smile formed on Kairi's face automatically. "Early bird catches the worm! Thank you, Sora-Sora, you're the greatest!" she giggled before she pulled him into a tight embrace. She released him and stared at him for a minute. She giggled again and kissed him on the cheek. She continued to giggle as she pushed the blushing boy out of her room.

He blinked. "What just happened?" he thought out loud. Sora shrugged and started to walk down the hallway. An idea came to mind. "I wonder if that would work on…" he trailed off.

Kairi erupted from her room full of holiday spirit. She was wearing her total Christmas uniform. She clapped her hands together. "Okay, now to go wake up the others!" she squealed. Kairi ran down the hallway and kicked open Olette's door. Olette was still fast asleep. "Now that won't do…wake up!" she screamed; Olette screamed in response.

Finding that justice had been done, Kairi ran down to the second floor and did the same thing to all of her roommates. She stopped once she reached Riku's bedroom door. She kicked open the door and was pulled inside. The door slammed behind her. Kairi yelped as she was tossed to the floor. "Riku!" she whined, "What'd you do that for? I was only waking the household up!"

"Well, it's quite annoying, but never mind that. I need you to tell me if you have been chatting with Yuna, Paine, Fuu, and Garnet," Riku explained. He looked around suspiciously; he seemed paranoid. "I just don't want anyone else to hear this. I think they're planning something," he explained. Riku's suspicions made Kairi laugh, thus, he was quite confused. _'Why is she laughing at me? Doesn't she realize this is serious?' _he thought, almost angrily.

Kairi settled down and exhaled deeply. "That was funny. You're such a silly goose! Those girls are angels with horns. Why would they mess with us when they have so many other things they could be doing? Besides, I'm sure they don't want to talk to me anymore," she pointed out with a nod of her head.

"I guess," Riku muttered. He sighed and reopened the door. He swiftly pushed her out and closed it again. Kairi only shrugged; she decided it was a male thing. She skipped away and followed the strong scent of Sora's cooking.

Riku wasn't satisfied, though. There was something going on, he knew it. Today wouldn't be a good day. If he were to tell anyone this they would all think he was being emo. They always did. Curse them.

For breakfast Sora had made…cereal! He poured a bowl of Lucky Charms for every person. People whined about it, but he didn't seem to care. The true reason was he wanted the toy that was hidden somewhere within the cereal box. It was a red racecar that Sora planned on playing with in his spare time. Kairi didn't bother to ask Sora how he had made the cereal smell. She ignored her strange nose and happily ate.

The walk to school was silent. Riku was contemplating the meaning of life. Kairi was singing Christmas carols in her head. Sora was still playing with his racecar. Tidus was staring around at the Town, he still hadn't adapted fully. Selphie was just smiling. Zidane was scanning the area for his beloved Garnet. Naminé was trying to figure out how and when she would find time to draw her picture. Roxas was mentally trying out skateboard techniques. Olette was looking around for Hayner, they had plans today.

"Time for school!" Kairi cheered. She jumped up the steps to the front door and burst through it. She was greeted by the sight of a cluttered hallway. There were fliers everywhere; on lockers, scattered on the floor, attached to the ceiling, and anywhere else one's eyes could land. She blinked. "What's all this?" she questioned before she ripped a flyer off a locker. She began to read what it said out loud, "Attention, fellow classmates. We have a sexual harasser among us. Mr. Tidus, of our new group of orphans has committed the crime. He is accused of trying to harm Ms. Yuna in many ways! If you see him, take him away! Signed Paine, Fuu, and Garnet."

All eyes fell on Tidus. He was confused. "I didn't do anything to Yuna," he protested and crossed his arms. Selphie smiled and nodded.

"I'll believe you because I trust you," she said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it caringly. "Though, I think it's their trust you need, not mine," she added fearfully. She pointed to the many students that were glaring at him in the hallway. Tidus gulped and turned to walk down another hallway, but someone grabbed his arm.

A gruff man turned him around. "Excuse me, but Mr. Tidus, we need to question you downtown," the man muttered as he pulled Tidus toward the door. Selphie objected and grabbed Tidus's other arm. She wasn't about to let him go. The man turned to face her. "Excuse me, little girl, but this is big people's business so don't intrude," he hissed.

Selphie growled. "I am not little! Just petite for my age! And you can't take Tidus because he is innocent!" she exclaimed as she mercilessly tugged on Tidus's arm. She turned to the others. "Right, guys? Tidus is innocent, isn't he?" she begged.

"Yeah! He didn't do anything!" Roxas exclaimed; he took a step forward, "So get your hands off of him, old man!" The officer was offended by Roxas's attitude. Most people were.

Tidus shook his head and yanked his arm away from Selphie. "Don't worry, I'm innocent and I just have to prove it. Guilty until proven innocent, right? No wait…well, who cares. I'll be back in no time, you just wait!" he laughed as he patted Selphie on the head playfully, "See you guys later!" With those last words said, Tidus was escorted out of the building and not seen again that day.

Kairi frowned. She wasn't happy about what happened to Tidus. She turned to face the others who were as equally upset. "Come on guys, we have to have a little talk with Yuna," she grumbled. She threw her Santa hat on the ground and stormed down the hallway. Sora gasped and picked up the beloved hat. He couldn't let her lose it.

"Kai-Kai!" he shouted as he chased after her, but Riku grabbed his arm and shook his head. Sora sighed. "I guess she has to do this on her own…can't we at least watch?" he inquired hopefully, but he only received a curt 'no' for an answer. He puckered his bottom lip and turned back around.

A furious Kairi marched through the hallway; she received many strange looks. She only ignored them; after all, she was on a mission. Kairi walked up to Yuna's locker where the girl was standing with her posse. Garnet tapped Yuna's shoulder making Kairi's presence known. Yuna turned around and saw Kairi standing before her with her hands on her hips. "Oh, what do you want?" Yuna asked curtly.

Kairi pointed her index finger. "You know exactly why I'm here! Don't play coy. Why did you print out such garbage about Tidus? He didn't do anything to do you! He doesn't even find you the least bit attractive!" she cried as she glared. Yuna laughed.

"Put your finger down, don't you know pointing is rude? Anyways, of course Tidus finds me attractive. I am the most beautiful girl in this school," she said; she couldn't help but flatter herself. Yuna decided to give Kairi an example. She winked at a nerdy boy from across the hall. Kairi watched, in what seemed to be awe, as the boy chuckled dreamily and ran into a wall. "See? Now if you don't believe me about Tidus, you can at least believe the police when they make their decision on whether he is guilty or not," Yuna suggested casually.

It was Kairi's turn to laugh. "Haven't you ever heard of a trial? It isn't up to the police to decide if Tidus is guilty or not. It's up to the court and jury!" she exclaimed. She laughed heartily as she did. She knew Yuna was a stupid idiot, but she found it amazing that she could be so stupid. How could she overlook such an important fact?

"I forgot you haven't been here long. In Traverse Town, there is no such thing as this court you speak of. It is only the policemen; they decide who's innocent and who's guilty. Who's right and who's wrong. If Tidus is decided guilty, he goes to jail, so deal with it," Yuna hissed. She slammed her locker shut and walked away.

Kairi was shocked. "No court?" she mumbled in disbelief. The bell rung and class began. She shook her head. "No, Tidus is innocent. I'm sure the police will see," she repeated to reassure herself. She took a deep breath and ran down the hallway toward her locker. Kairi would need her English book, and she suspected that Sora hadn't figured out her combination yet.

* * *

It was after school, Paine, Fuu, and Garnet were gathered at Yuna's house. They were seated on her lovely, velvet couches chatting about boys and whatever else came up. Garnet stayed silent and stared out the window. She wasn't feeling like herself lately, or maybe she just didn't like the group she had chosen anymore. Yuna suddenly slammed her fist on her glass coffee table; she disturbed the vase of flowers that was used for decoration. The three girls stared at her. Yuna smirked. "Okay, now we must discuss the rest of the plan," Yuna said in a low growl.

Paine and Fuu smirked in unison. It was scary sometimes how much they were alike. Yuna looked at Fuu. "You and Rai got all the dirt from Olette, right?" Yuna inquired hopefully. If they hadn't she would be very, very angry with the albino girl. When she saw Fuu nod, she was relived. "Good, and Paine you made sure Riku was in check?" she questioned as she eyed the gray-haired female. Paine nodded as well. Now it was Garnet's turn. "And Garnet, have you snatched up something from the mansion yet?" she asked.

Garnet was silent. She couldn't answer because she knew she hadn't. The girl didn't see why it had to be her that had to break and enter. Why couldn't Fuu do it? After all, she had to admit, Fuu was an expert at such things. She always thought Raijin's attitude had rubbed off on her. She sighed and shook her head. "Garnet!" Yuna screamed in rage, "You go now and get something dear of Kairi's-!"

She was cut off. Fuu had been the one to interrupt. "We don't need anything of Kairi's. I've got something better. Olette told me something about Kairi's tormenting past," she laughed. Yuna smirked and nodded. This was the signal that Fuu could continue. "Well, you see, Olette has told me about a certain abusive father Kairi used to have. He hasn't been brought to justice yet so I was thinking we could contact him," Fuu explained.

"Don't you think that would be dangerous?" Garnet inquired. Her eyes filled with worry almost instantly. All three girls glared at her and ignored her insightful input. Garnet silenced and continued to listen to the stupid plan they were formulating. She didn't like one bit of it.

Yuna laughed. "Okay! We'll do exactly that, and then Kairi will no longer be a problem for us! But what will we do with that Sora of hers. After all, he gave Fuu a swollen nose for two weeks. He needs to be taken out," she pointed out. Yuna sounded like the leader of a mob.

"I know exactly how to get rid of him," Paine laughed. She cracked her knuckles threateningly. "As I was patrolling Riku, I've noticed some hidden tension between the two. If I make Riku unleash it, Sora will be taken off guard and will be out of the way," Paine explained.

"Great," Yuna said with a clap of her hands, "Now girls, we have a call to make."

* * *

_A/N: Oh! What's this? What are Yuna and the 'mob' planning now. Also, will Garnet actually go through with it? What has become of Tidus? Will the police believe his plea? Only I know! That kind of sucks for you guys though huh? Anyways, thanks for reading this update of I Thought I Was Alone. Does anybody else see a plot formulating? I do. Then again I am the authoress, aren't I special? Please review and thanks for your time!_


	34. So Long TidyWidy

_A/N: Hey guys! Did you all miss, I know I missed you wonderful peeps T.T – it was so painful not being able to type up another chapter. Though, there was a good outcome to it. Now I know the entire course of the story, lol. I still don't have another wireless thing for my computer, but I shall do my best to write from my father's computer! So my friends are you all curious as to what has happened in Aerith's life since the last time I updated? Well, let's just say I have myself a lover lol. Not in that sense though! Ewwie no mature scenes here. I have now been labeled an emo kid, which makes no sense at all but life doesn't now does it? Ooh that's a tongue twister right there. I've made new friends, and have no come to amends with the power going out every other weekend. Darn weather you will rue the day you messed with Aerith! I've learned all about those little Japanese suffixes, you know chan, san, kun, etc. Also, I've picked up a little of the language but enough about me what about you guys? Lol anywhos on with the chapter right and Sora-Sora will lead us back with the disclaimer!_

_Sora: Hello! I'm so happy to be back now I can eat more food while no one's looking! Anywhos before FlowerLady-Aerith changes her mind; she does not own Kingdom Hearts! Thank you and goodnight! I'll be here till Wednesday and no earlier…or was it later…_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three: So long, Tidy-Widy

At the Police Station, Tidus sat in the Interrogation Room. He was waiting for the officers to enter. He had been sitting in that same chair since he was brought in and told to wait. In the first two hours of waiting he had began to wonder if this was some kind of psychological test, but after two more hours, he just thought they were being lazy. As of now, he was reclined in his wooden chair, his legs propped up on the table, and his arms behind his head. Besides the fact that the room resembled a basement, he found the position quite relaxing.

_Click_

His eyes wandered to the door where he saw the gruff man from earlier step inside. "Hey, what took you so long?" Tidus whined as he sat up. He gave a fake yawn for emphasis. "I thought you had forgotten about me. Hey, buddy? So, I guess I can go home now and we can forget this ever happened right?" Tidus asked.

The man laughed. "Don't you understand little boy? You're going to juvenile prison for charges against Ms. Yuna," he stated before he roughly lifted Tidus from his chair.

Tidus gasped. "But I didn't do anything! I'm innocent!" he cried as he was dragged out of the Interrogation Room.

"That's what all those perverts before you have said. Like I'm really going to believe a delinquent like you, you disgust me!" he scowled as he placed the handcuffs around Tidus's wrists. He then shoved the blonde boy to another pair of officers.

Tidus grinned slyly. "You'll see. I'll be out by the end of the school year, if not earlier," he said with a playful smirk. The gruff man glared before at him before he turned away. "Okay, let's go boys!" he laughed as he was carried away. Somehow the situation hadn't fully donned on him yet.

* * *

That night the phone rang in the orphan's household. The only one stirring in the house that night was Olette. She had been seated in the living room watching her favorite soap opera "There She Is" when the phone rang the second time. "I'll answer it," she mumbled on reflex. For an instant, she had forgotten everyone else was asleep. She picked up the phone and answered in a generic tone, "Orphan's Residence, this is Olette speaking."

"Miss Olette, this is Officer Laguna calling to inform you that Mister Tidus from your household has been sent to juvenile for a sentence of three years," said the man over the phone. Olette gasped and mumbled her reply. For the rest of the short conversation, she struggled to remain in her usual composure. Though, once she put the phone back in the receiver…it was gone.

Olette quickly ran up the stairs and into the second floor hall screaming, "Wake up now!" Slowly one by one, doors flung open and sleepy heads popped out. Sora and Kairi trotted down the stairs; they stared at the frantic Olette through faded eyes.

"What's going on, Olette?" Roxas asked through a yawn. He had been having a wonderful dream including him, Naminé, and an orange smoothie. A smile graced his face from the memory, but he quickly snapped out of his daze.

"Tidus has been sent to juvenile!" she exclaimed with clenched fists. A hush fell over the room as all six teenagers stared at one another in disbelief. "…for the next three years," she finished. She then allowed her gaze to fall the floor.

Sora stared at her with a confused expression. "How is that possible? I mean, as weird as it sounds, he was only sent in for sexual harassment, shouldn't he just be under house arrest? And also have a blasphemy to his permanent record?" he inquired with a tilt of his head. The other five blinked. Did Sora usually use big words in the middle night? Sora looked down nervously. "I'm just saying…"he mumbled.

Another silence. Riku cleared his throat. "But where exactly is the juvenile reeducation building? I haven't seen one around Traverse Town?" he inquired.

"It's in a place called Twilight Town…" Olette answered.

Roxas suddenly burst out, "Where the heck is that!"

Olette jumped back. "I-I don't know, okay!" she exclaimed nervously. She quickly turned, almost knocking over Sora and Kairi, and retreated up the stairs. Roxas let out an aggravated growl and banged his fist on the wall. The happy memory of his orange smoothie dream was gone. Naminé went over to go calm him down while the other four just continued to stare at each other.

A few minutes later, Riku retreated to his room and slammed the door after him. Naminé and Roxas had gone downstairs to have some hot chocolate leaving Kairi and Sora to stare at each other. Kairi kicked the banister. "This isn't right!" she finally exclaimed, "Tidus shouldn't have to go to stupid juvenile!"

Sora's mouth went into a straight line. Something had just occurred to him. "Hey, Kai-Kai…how are we going to tell Selphie?" he quietly asked. Kairi's anger was suddenly lost. She stared at Sora; she had forgotten all about Selphie in her rage.

"Selphie…" she sadly murmured.

* * *

The next morning was spent in silence. Even Kairi's Christmas spirit outfit didn't perk anyone up, including herself. Selphie Tillmit, her best friend, consumed her thoughts. The six silently ate their breakfast created by Sora, which consisted of a plastic bowl, spoon, and some oat grains. The only sound in the kitchen was the sound of grains being chewed and swallowed. There were no conversations being held, besides the ones inside each of their heads.

A moment later and they were out the door walking to meet Selphie and Zidane. Kairi was walking slower than usual; it was already decided she would be the one to break the news to Selphie. It would be hard, and the situation became even harder when she spotted the brunette searching for him.

"Hey, where's Tidus?" she inquired, "They didn't make him stay at the station, did they?"

_Even more difficult…_

Kairi swallowed hard. "Hey, Selphie, can I talk to you?" she asked. Kairi took her arm and led her down the street without waiting for Selphie's answer. Roxas automatically understood Kairi's movements and ushered everyone else toward school. It was quite easy moving the herd when he instilled fear in them with his fists. One could say, Sora was used as the example.

Selphie blinked. "What did you want to talk about Kairi?" she inquired; she was painfully oblivious, "Is it about Christmas decorations, because I bought a bunch of them yesterday, shopping helps me cope with my sorrow." She mumbled the last bit.

Kairi winced. _'Looks like she will be doing a lot of shopping…'_ she sadly thought."Look…about Tidus…yesterday we received a phone call about the situation…" she started as she gnawed at her bottom lip.

"Oh really? What was the verdict?" Selphie asked hopefully. She began to fiddle her fingers nervously. She silently prayed.

"Tidus…he'll be spending three years in juvenile…" Kairi announced slowly. She watched as her dear friend's smile faded and her eyes slowly began to water. "But h-he'll be back junior year…it-it's not that long…" Kairi stammered nervously. She didn't know what to say.

Selphie turned away as she grinded her teeth together. "C-Could you tell the attendance office t-that I'm sick today?" she quietly requested. She suspected that Kairi had nodded when she got no answer. "Thank you," she muttered. With that said, she ran down the street in a pace Kairi had never seen before. Kairi frowned sadly.

"I'm really sorry Selphie," she whispered to the wind.

* * *

Kairi entered the school building and was instantly greeted by Sora. She already knew the look in his eyes. She already knew what question he would ask. "She won't be at school today," was her statement. Before Sora could reply, Yuna and her posse walked toward the duo. Kairi growled. "Look what you did!" she exclaimed.

Yuna smirked. "I didn't do anything, Tidus is the one at fault here, after all he is the delinquent," she laughed. As if it were rehearsed, Fuu and Paine began to laugh along with their ringleader. Garnet was silent as she looked the other way. She caught the eyes of a familiar face. She stared with wide eyes.

'_He looks so familiar…what was his name? Umm, Zidern? No, that can't be it,'_ she thought curiously. She felt a tug at her arm and noticed Yuna, Paine, and Fuu leaving the scene. She suddenly snapped back to reality and chased after them. After all, she was part of their posse.

Zidane sighed. "I was so close," he murmured as he banged his head on the locker. Usually Tidus would comfort him, like he always did, but Tidus wasn't there anymore. Another sigh, and he walked toward his classroom.

Most of the day was spent in silence for the six teens. Roxas hardly said a word during Cloud and Leon's conversation about the renovations being made to the skate park. Naminé was her usual self, besides the fact, in Art class she put no emotion into their sketching assignment. For Riku the day wasn't that much different. He gave out depressing vibes no matter what emotion he felt. Olette had Hayner to help her through the day. Sora spent his whole day watching over Kairi who wasn't exactly herself that day. He couldn't blame her, though; no one was acting normally today.

Soon the end of the school day came and the group of six traveled home. Zidane continued to accompany them. Selphie wouldn't be joining them today. Kairi didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She should be happy, because it was the weekend and she could set up the Christmas decorations. She should be sad, because Tidus was gone and wouldn't return for three years. The more she thought of it, the more she began to think Tidus wouldn't want them to mourn over his absence. In a way, she thought he would want them to continue their strangely, awkward lives without him. A smile formed on her face; the first of the day. She hopped in front of Sora.

"So Sora-Sora, when shall we put up the lawn decorations?" she inquired; she leaned toward him while walking backward.

The brunette was confused. One minute she was practically emo, and the next she was jumping up and down calling him Sora-Sora. "Umm, I guess we can start today?" he answered; he wasn't sure he should have.

She squealed happily. "Okay! We'll start after dinner!" she exclaimed happily. She grabbed his hands and began prancing in circles.

'_It really must take a lot of energy out of Kairi to have such sudden mood swings,' _Zidane thought as he watched the freakishly happy Kairi spin with the blushing Sora. In a way, the scene had its innocence, but he could care less. He only wished to be prancing around with his beloved Garnet.

* * *

Selphie slowly walked down one of the many streets in Traverse Town. She happened to be passing by Yuna's estate at the moment. All she could do was stare at the ground with a hateful look. _'She took my Tidus from me,' _Selphie thought angrily. How she missed her Tidus. It wasn't fair; Yuna always took everything from her. This time it just happened to be her happiness.

She sighed. "I guess I should be getting home, mommy will be worried about me," she thought out loud. She was about to turn around and walk back, but something suddenly stopped her from moving. There was a voice calling out to her. A mean, snooty voice; the voice of the infamous Yuna. A scowl formed on her face.

"Selphie!"

She turned around slightly. "What do you want?" she asked in a curt tone. Her tears were threatening to fall again.

"I was just wondering where you were today. I mean, you weren't in class learning things with your fellow nerds," Yuna snorted. She stepped in front of Selphie so she could see the tears in her eyes. "Were you down because Tidus was sent away?" Yuna asked.

"Of course I was!" she bursted out. Selphie choked down some of her tears. "It's all because of you and your false accusations! You didn't even check if it could've been some guy that looked like Tidus that harassed you!" she shouted. Yuna didn't even look shaken; a smirk played on her features.

Yuna let out a shrill laugh. "You're so dense!" she exclaimed as her laughter calmed down. She cleared her throat and began to explain. "Didn't you know Tidus didn't really harass me, no man did. Besides, it wouldn't be harassment anyways. You fool, I helped scam your stupid boyfriend. I knew no one would object me because of my popularity and munny, so it was an easy set up, not that it was actually my idea," she explained between giggles.

"But w-why and wh-who?" Selphie choked. The tears were now flowing rapidly.

"You would be too confused if I told you who. Why? Well, why don't you go and ask her yourself. I'm sure you'll get the answers you're looking for!" Yuna explained. She crossed her arms and looked away. Not that it pained her to watch Selphie cry her eyes out; it just wasn't the prettiest sight to see.

Selphie continued to cry. "Yuna, what's wrong with you? Tidus didn't do any of that a-and now he's g-gone!" she cried; hatred was dancing in her eyes. "Why did you do that to him?" she demanded with a stomp of her foot.

Yuna laughed. "Aren't you a mess of emotions? Blue doesn't suit you Selphie, but this wasn't me. It was all Kairi's idea. Blame Kairi, she put your boyfriend in jail," she explained in a soft voice. Yuna smiled sympathetically. "It was all her idea, we told her not too, but she insisted on it. When we refused to help her she went on and did it herself."

"…Kairi?"

"Yes, Kairi, you know, the auburn orphan girl that is supposedly your best friend, she did it," Yuna replied as she hid her smug look. Her plan was working and soon it would be the end of Kairi. "Does it surprise you? Didn't you know she was scamming you from the minute she said 'Hello'. That's just how she works. She's cold. Why do you think we had decided to get revenge on her earlier? She's an evil girl!" Yuna cried.

Selphie gasped in shock. She couldn't believe it. "Kairi wouldn't! I know Kairi, she may be a little on the depressed side, but she wouldn't do that to me," she cried.

Yuna knew Selphie was in a state of vulnerability. It would be easy to manipulate her mind into thinking things that were wrong. Once she turned Selphie against Kairi her plan would be easy to accomplish. "I'm serious Selphie. If there was any time to believe me it would be now. Besides, why would I have Tidus arrested, he's hot! I want him around me, but Kairi, you never know how she's thinking. She's an emotional wreck," Yuna stated bluntly.

"She is…isn't she," Selphie murmured as she stared down at her feet, "It does make sense…but I thought that she and Tid-."

"Kairi is deceitful; she likes to play mind games," Yuna answered.

Selphie paused. Was it true? Was this all Kairi's idea? She frankly didn't know what to believe. She would have to sleep on it. "Well thanks for telling me Yuna, b-but I should really get home now," she explained before she turned and ran away. Yuna stood there and watched the gullible brunette with a smug look on her face.

* * *

_A/N: Well there's one of the exercepts taken care of. But what is Yuna planning exactly? You'll all have to read and find out now won't you? But once again I apologize for like the how many months delay? That was awful of me and I hope you all continue to read my story(s) I put my heart into them all! Even the ones I don't exactly enjoy writing, but all in all I try and do my best. Well its really late and I'm becoming delirious so this is the new chapter, please review!_


	35. December Kairi

_A/N: I'm updating again! It was sad. I got lazy and my computer went blue screen on me. Computers just don't like me along with my procrastination eh? Lol. Anyways here's the update. This little Author Note's kinda short no? I'm just a tad sleepy, but I felt like writing. I get these strange writing sensations and have inabilities to sleep until I get them out so this is me getting it out. Yay! Now I'll give it off to the lovely lady Selphie! You ask why? Well, simply because she felt like talking and she threatened to kill me. Not so much yay!_

_Selphie: She lies! Lies I tell you bold-faced lies! Ahem. Anyway. FlowerLady-Aerith did not create Kingdom Hearts or any characters in this story. She only made the plot. _

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four: December Kairi

Two strange weeks had passed by. It was now Christmas Break, and the remaining orphans were forcing smiles on their faces. Though, they knew Tidus wouldn't want them to be mourning for him they couldn't help but feel a little sad. There was no more blonde guy to watch Blitzball with or hang out with. Kairi made sure to keep the dysfunctional family busy; she'd often take them out Christmas shopping. Something Riku was totally opposed to. Thus, he'd often lock himself in his room and talk on the phone to Lulu. Nobody knew what they would discuss. The albino boy had been acting strange lately. He'd be out really late during the night and lock himself in his room during the day.

Selphie had also been acting strange. She'd still come over with Tidus as usual, but she always seemed to be watching Kairi, it has weirded Sora out on many occasions. He was beginning to think she was some kind of lesbian. He kept that thought to himself though.

Today, Sora and Kairi were going to set up the Christmas decorations. Apparently, the day they had wanted to do it they both passed out on the couch from cooking dinner. Being the two happiest people in the household, Olette, Roxas, and Riku had left it too them. Naminé, of course would be making sure all the decorations and ornaments were clean. Their only problem was they had no tree. All of the ones being sold had been so expensive. Even with Riku's extended paycheck he couldn't afford it. Him being the only workingman in the house wasn't working out too well.

"Sora-Sora put that there!" Kairi exclaimed pointing to a small spot in the snow. Sora nodded and light-up reindeer and moved it to the spot indicated. They now had an entire sleigh of light up reindeers and Santa included. Kairi beamed with pride. "Now lets make a runway over here and put up the blinking chimney!" she exclaimed ecstatically.

'_Christmas brings out the best in Kai-Kai,'_ Sora thought staring at her with his usual goofy look. It always appeared when he stared at her. Now she was dressed in a green and red-stripped sweater with a pair of red leggings that fit her perfectly. He thought it was cute that she had put on little reindeer ears. Apparently the cold didn't affect her when there were lawn ornaments to be arranged. Kairi was weird like that when it came to such things during December. As for Sora he was bundled up head to toe. "Okay Kairi!" he exclaimed following after her like a lovesick puppy. Together they began to lay down the strings of lights. Usually, this kind of design would be on the roof, but of them were scared to go up there regardless of their holiday spirit.

* * *

Roxas and Naminé watched from inside their toasty abode sipping hot chocolate as they cleaned the ornaments the tree. They may not have a tree, but the town did. Apparently, every year during this time Traverse Town puts of a 10-foot tree in the Third District. People from every district come to help decorate it and put down gifts for the less fortunate. It's a really beautiful scene. On the day of Christmas they all gather around and link arms singing- no they are not from Whoville, they do not sing. So there the two were preparing to put some of their ornaments on the local tree.

"Roxas your rubbing off the shine, do it like this," Naminé instructed. Roxas had heard those same words for the past hour now. He was beginning to wish he were Kairi's slave like Sora.

He grimaced. "Blah blah blah," he muttered under his breath imitating her voice to the best of his ability. She looked at him with a glare. He squirmed. Naminé's glares were the worst. Her blue eyes always had that 'I'm gonna make you wish you were dead' kind of glare. "I mean…yes my dearest Naminé whom I love with all my heart. I will clean it exactly the way you want to clean it because I love you oh so much."

She smiled smugly. _'Roxas is so cute when he's sucking up. Hmm, its interesting really how a little glare can push him to say all that,' _she thought. A devious plan was coming to mind. "Of course Roxies," she replied as she continued to dust the ornaments. Her pace was much faster than 'Roxies' seeing as she was more adept at the skill of cleaning. Looking into the glass ornament she saw his shocked blue hues reflected over and over. She could only laugh. "What you don't like the name Roxies? I think it's cute."

"Yes, the cutest," Olette stated as she strolled into the hangout room with her own mug of hot chocolate. She hadn't come to assist in cleaning ornaments; in fact that was the last thing she'd want to do. Olette had come to the favored room to work on her photographs. She'd be taking a picture of Roxas and Olette for memories sake. Her Christmas present to the group was going to be a scrapbook of their adventures thus far. "Can I take your picture as you continue cleaning please?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Just do it okay? You won't regret it."

Naminé smiled. This blonde wasn't camera shy. She had always her pale skin and honey hair looked well on film. "Go ahead, we'll pretend you aren't there," she said happily picking up another ornament to dust. The box was almost empty.

"Great!"

Roxas growled, but continued dusting regardless. He was quite happy she had turned the flash off. Roxas knew himself; if he had seen this large, bright light he probably would've dropped an ornament. Then Naminé would've yelled at him and made him clean up the mess. That was her new form of punishment. It seemed whenever he messed up, she'd forgive him and make him clean. It wasn't a punishment to her, but she was very aware of how much Roxas hated to clean.

The brunette girl finished taking her pictures and thanked them for their time. She quickly scurried out of the room avoiding another growl on Roxas's behalf. She ran back up to the third floor and into her room where she was arranging the scrapbook. Olette owned one of those old cameras in which the picture developed inside of them. It was timesaving. "Now I'll need to get a few of Sora, Kairi, and…Riku." The albino hadn't been too keen on having his picture taken. He'd always ignore her or grunt in response, and it wasn't one of those welcoming grunts. She sighed. _'I'll go down and get some pictures of Selphie and Zidane.' _

* * *

"Its finished Kai-Kai!" Sora announced happily bouncing up and down. He was very gleeful. Their yard looked like a Christmas wonderland. It was amazing the things they could do in only thirty minutes. The December Kairi was just full of surprises. He glanced over at her noticing her hanging something up on the porch. "Hey what's that?" he inquired walking over to get a closer look.

Kairi smiled. "It's mistletoe silly, that way whenever we have guests or go out here ourselves we'll have to kiss," she explained. "Don't you know about mistletoe? Remember we had to do it to get those lawn ornaments!"

Sora laughed. "Well yeah, I just didn't think we'd want any here," he explained. The experience with mistletoe had been mortifying to Kairi. (He on the other hand had enjoyed it). She seemed to avoid that part of Christmas, now here she was surprising him for the ump tenth time by hanging up the dreaded plant. He spotted her mischievous glance. "What's that look fo-." His sentence was abruptly stopped by a quick kiss from Kairi. His cheeks immediately colored on queue.

"There! After all we are standing under mistletoe," Kairi said in a matter-of-fact tone. She would hide the fact that she had actually hoped that scenario would happen. _'Wait! No, what am I doing? Why'd I do that! Gah! I'm confusing myself again. Darn you Christmas bubbly joy!' _she thought keeping on the ecstatic look. "Well Sora-Sora let's go inside now before we get hypothermia."

There was no possible way Sora would be cold anytime soon. His insides felt all fluttery and warm inside. "Uh..huh," he absently agreed staring at her with his goofy grin. He looked like a nutcracker at the moment, because his cheeks were so rosy and all his pearly whites were showing. All he needed were the gigantic eyes and he'd be officially scaring Kairi.

She blinked and waved her hand in front of his face. "Sora-Sora, you okay?" she asked before tapping him on the forehead. She had to make sure there were brainwaves going through his head. "Umm, okay I'm going to go inside now…follow if you want too?" She sighed. With a shake of her head she pushed open the door, warmness flowing out to mesh with the cold air. "I'll leave the door open for when you snap out of your trance." Kairi sighed. _'He's really hopeless isn't he?' _As she walked into the hallway she passed by Olette whom was all giggly for some reason. "Hey, what happened to you? Hayner ask you out?"

Her green eyes said something else about her mood. "No," she managed to giggle out before bursting into a fit of laughter. She wiped her eyes stopping the few tears that were falling out. "I'm going to go over to Selphie's. I-I'll be b-back," she laughed out before, literally, dashing out of the house in a fit.

"She's acting strange today-whoa!"

"Sorry," Riku muttered passing her by like he did to furniture. She was not of importance to him right now. For, he was in a hurry to get somewhere and no one knew where. Without another word of apology or explanation he slipped through the door and shoved past the still dreaming Sora. That shove and ground woke him up though. He shook his icy spikes for hair.

A frown graced his features. "Well that was rude," he muttered loud enough for Riku to hear as he left the yard. He didn't say an apology to Sora. The brunette boy sighed and crawled into the house kicking the door closed behind him. "Hey, Hey Kai-Kai," he said as he removed himself from the floor. There was an excited gleam in his eyes. "What do you say we all make Gingerbread cookies today?"

"Gingerbread cookies? Hmm, only if we can make a house for the Gingerbreads as well! It'll be so cute!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'll go tell the others!"

* * *

Roxas, Namine, Sora, and Kairi all sat at the kitchen table. Being the only of the seven left in the house they would be working on this project together. Afterwards they would take the ornaments to be hung on the town tree. For this project Gingerbread was made by Sora of course. Kairi wasn't skilled in that area so she wasn't to be trusted in making it. She had to down the carton of milk instead so they could use it for the construction of the house. The auburn beauty wasn't too happy about that. Regardless, now they were settled at the table cutting shapes in the forms of the little stick men.

"I like the way you guys set up the lawn, it looks really pretty," Naminé complimented. "Its like a mini winter wonderland."

"Thanks!" Kairi replied happily. She was proud that even a cleaning freak like Naminé could appreciate the fruit of her and Sora's hard work. The blonde nudged Roxas trying to get him to comment on it. Sure, the skater thought it looked nice, but what else was there to say about it.

Upon his foot being stomped on he had no choice but to say something. "Uh, yeah very nice. Sora, Kairi," he mumbled nervously. To avoid any looks that he might receive he ducked down to his Gingerbread man cut out and continued secretly planning on cursing the ceiling later. Yes, while he was cursing the ceiling he'd sing to it. He already had some of the lyrics in his head. _'Yes, because Naminé stomped on my foot I sounded stupid. And it's your entire fault! Faulty, fault! Oh yes fault, you! …Wow that really sucks,' _he thought grimacing at his own creation. His musical talents were failing him.

The foursome finished creating the Gingerbread shapes and put them in the oven. As the cookies began cooking they decided to go ahead and decorate the house. Sora had covered the milk carton with graham crackers. They had all the frostings, sprinkles, and other edible decorations lay out on the table to be used. "Yay! Good job Sora-Sora this is going to be fun. You have the most wonderful ideas today," Kairi said happily as she grabbed one of the red tubes of icing. After a minute of staring, and wondering why Kairi had just used the words wonderful and Sora in the same sentence they followed her lead in decorating.

Namine added her sense of cleanliness by creating windows and putting white icing on them. She thought it had a since of class. Only cool Gingerbread houses could have blue windows. Roxas added a skater style to it. He created red and green skateboards on the roof. The door was a guitar. Sora covered the rest with lemon frosting; he would eat the remains later. Of course, no one had to know that. Kairi was adding little licorices and candy canes to the masterpiece.

Sora decided he wanted to add a little bit of red icing to the little Gingerbread house. As he landed his hand on the tube about to pick it up Roxas did the same. They both glanced at each other. "Can I use it to add a little edge to the frosting?" Sora pleaded hoping the badly tempered blonde wouldn't mind.

"Right after I finish this skateboard," Roxas said fixing to lift it from the table, but Sora did it first. Roxas grabbed onto the tube trying to pry it away from the brunette's hands. "I said afterwards!"

"I need it now!" Sora whined. "I really, really need it!"

"I need it more!"

"No I do!"

"I do!"

"I do!"

Namine snickered. "What? Are you guys getting married or something?" she laughed. Kairi quickly joined in after her. Sora and Roxas immediately turned scarlet. The comment had been true. After all they had both said 'I do', but then again there was no preacher to properly wed them.

'_Oh wait now's my chance!'_ Roxas thought. He quickly snatched away the tube of red icing triumphantly. Sora pouted and looked at the Gingerbread house longingly. Who knew when Roxas would be done with that tube?

"I guess I'll just sit here sadly, wishing I had a tube of icing," Sora muttered to himself. Since they only had three tubes of icing and both Namine and Kairi had the other two colors that left him out of the equation. As he was about to pick up the bucket of lemon frosting seeing as he didn't feel like messing with the sprinkles, Kairi spoke.

"Here, you can use the green tube, I don't need it," she said forcefully placing it in his hands. He grinned at her. Yes, he officially liked December Kairi.

* * *

_A/N: Oh no! Lol. Well that was a nice chapter don't you think? Full of Kingdom Hearts goodness. Yeah well that's it. Hopefully I can update sooner! Darn my newly found life and I. Well I hope you enjoyed it and will leave me a wonderful review or a wonderful flame. I'll leave that up to you. _


	36. December Activities

_A/N: It's been what two months going on three? I fail. Lol, really fail, like complete failure! That's why today's goal is to get three chapters done. Not just those stupid whatever chapters, but three good, wholesome chapters. I need to make it up to you guys either way. I think I have some inspiration too. This is all thanks to 'Tuesday Affairs' written by , so go check it out if you have free time! The story is great. Anyways, I start typing out the chapter now. We'll have Riku introduce this one._

_Riku: FlowerLady-Aerith doesn't own Kingdom Hearts…_

_Me: Wow…that was short_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five: December Activities

"It's a masterpiece!"

"A yummy masterpiece…nummy!"

"Don't eat it, stupid!"

"Oww! You flattened my spike!"

"Stop fighting or the both of you will be helping me clean forever! Muaha!"

"No!"

Sora sniffled as he tried to fix his chocolate, brown spike. He couldn't have one spike not defying gravity; it would ruin his image. "That was so mean Roxas!" Sora exclaimed finally managing to stick the piece of hair up. He grinned in triumph. "Yeah!" he exclaimed, punching the air. He had spoken too soon, the tip of his spike folded over and hung limply atop his head. His grin transformed into a small frown. A sigh escaped and he grumbled, "Kai-Kai I'm going to go borrow your gel, be right back." With that said, the adolescent hurriedly stomped up the wooden stairs.

The auburn beauty was taken aback. "H-Hey don't use it all!" she cried. Sora went through at least five bottles of gel each month. It would be no surprise if he managed to use the remains of hers while trying to fix that spike. She needed her gel so her hair wouldn't look uneven.

She scratched her head nervously. She felt a bit awkward. "Well, where should we put our gingerbread house?" Kairi asked as she stared at her two blonde companions. They shrugged in unison. The remaining three stood in a circle, facing each other, deep in thought. Where would put their magnificent house of glory?

'_Maybe we could display it in the living room window. The one that's right in the center that Kairi sprayed with fake snow the other day…yeah that could work,' _Roxas thought. Before he could suggest the idea he ended up spacing out. His thoughts began to wander to his childhood in the orphanage…

_It was Christmas Eve, and the children staying in the large orphanage were fast asleep waiting for the morning. All except for one little, blonde boy; he was a ten year old named Roxas. He sat up straight in his bed glancing out the window every now and then. A yawn escaped from his small being. He was dressed in some light blue pajamas; his legs were slightly covered by the thin, white blanket. His cerulean eyes were fixated the ceiling. His blonde eyebrows were slightly pointed down showing his growing frustration._

"_Santa Claus isn't coming," he grumbled to himself. He looked towards the clock on the wall and it read twelve-thirty. "He would've been here already if he was coming. Everyone knows he starts from this side of the world, maybe we've all been bad kids and he skipped us?" he thought out loud. He fell back onto his mattress. _

'_Why hasn't he come yet,' he thought again before rolling onto his right side so he could continue to stare out the window. Roxas watched as the snowflakes slowly descended from the black sky. 'Or maybe he got lost. I thought the Gingerbread House would guide him here…like she…sai-.' _

Kairi and Naminé stared at Roxas. "Roxas? Roxas you said hey, hey what?" Kairi stated as she tapped his forehead. It was if his brain and mind were in another world. "Why isn't he answering? He's been staring at the speck on the ceiling for a good three minutes now," Kairi asked Naminé.

The blonde girl shrugged. "Perhaps he's taken an interest in cleaning it? I sometimes do that to things I'm planning on cleaning, but then again he is Roxas. Maybe he'll answer to some stupid name? Roxas! Roxers!" she began to shout. He remained silent. "Umm Roxanne!" Naminé cried. His eyes didn't even quiver. "Roxing!" He didn't budge. "Roxies!" she tried.

"What!" Roxas shouted suddenly causing Naminé to stumble backward.

"He's alive!" Kairi cried with a smile that confused Roxas. He had always been alive, what had he been doing that was making them react in such a way. "Wow, I never guessed you would answer to Roxies, I had dibs on Roxanne," Kairi added as she cutely rocked back and forth on her heels.

In a spontaneous, yet confused reaction, Roxas screamed. Even Sora who was two floors up could hear his agony. In fact, due to hearing the sound echo from the walls Sora fell forward and down the stairs. Now he was the one wailing in defeat. Kairi ran into the hallway and watched Sora topple down the remaining steps. "Are you okay?" she inquired with her infamous concerned look.

"Of course," Sora gurgled unable to lift his face from the floorboards.

Kairi smiled weakly. "Poor, Sora-Sora," she coed as she lifted his head from the ground. She gently placed a kiss on his cheek and said, "Come on, I'll make you some hot chocolate." Sora giggled to himself. He had been kissed once again by his love. He inhaled dreamily. This day couldn't get any better. He removed himself from the ground and followed her into the kitchen where Namine and Roxas were trying to lift the Gingerbread House from the table. Apparently, they had thought of a place to put it.

* * *

The tall, albino boy leaned back on the snowy brick wall that surrounded Lulu's house. His gothic maiden had instructed him to wait here while she got ready to meet their associates in their brilliant plan. He sighed, watching his breath float in the air. It was the only thing he really enjoyed during winter, other than the temperature drop. He heard her front door close. His aquamarine eyes followed her figure as she left the front steps, and hurried to the gate, closing it behind her. "Let's go," she ordered emotionlessly. She turned the corner without him, knowing he would follow her lead.

Riku trudged through the snow behind her. Though they were a couple it was rare to see them walk beside each other outside of school. The truth was Riku didn't know how to treat a girl. Chivalry wasn't in his vocabulary. He just followed her orders hoping the best would come out of it. Besides Lulu, he had never really been interested in a girl. They were all either oogling over him or shunning him from the school society. He just hadn't been lucky in that area. Then he met her, and was impressed by her ability to be mean to him without drooling or shunning him. In a way, he respected her personality since they were alike.

Once again they turned the corner and continued down the snowy sidewalk. Riku's image reflected from the ice-covered street. His aquamarine eyes were intense, as they always were. He had a stare that could send chills down anyone's spine; excluding Lulu, of course. His eyes were absolute zero. One look into them and maybe it was possible for someone to become frozen. "We're here," Lulu announced as she turned to stare into those cold eyes. Riku only grunted.

Standing in front of the couple were two of the high school's juniors. Axel, Riku recognized from the Welcome Back dance, he had been Kairi's escort. The whole ordeal hadn't gone well, and the albino still had a wanting to crush that "pretty" nose of his. Riku found that Axel had a different look in his eye today. Axel was shivering violently, apparently he wasn't one for cold weather. His red locks were standing on end, more than they normally did. It looked as if they were more rigid and frozen. He was rubbing his arms with his hands trying to conjure heat from his being. He was dressed in a black, zip-up trench coat.

The second junior was none other than Demyx. He didn't seem as bothered by the cold weather. He stood leisurely, leaning on the wall for support. His light brown locks had been molded into the same, strange mullet-looking style he had always worn. His light blue eyes were fixated by the snow that was crunching underneath his feet. Demyx was one of the more playful juniors and didn't seem to have any reason to participate in their cause. So why was he here? Riku flashed a questionable look towards Lulu, whom was already expecting it.

"Axel will supply us with fire ammo, and also take part in the burning. As for Demyx, I mean waterboy, he will be there to make sure we don't burn down the town. Though, I couldn't care less if we do or don't," Lulu explained. She dusted the snowflakes from her strapped outfit. The color or absence of color was her worst enemy, unless of course it was her pale skin. She disliked snow. "Now, what do you say we go have some coffee while we discuss our plans?" she ordered.

When she started walking away Demyx was taken aback. "I thought that was just a suggestion!" he shouted as he watched Axel and Riku follow after the matriarchal figure. He paused. "Wait! I don't like coffee!" he whined as he chased after the group.

* * *

Selphie squealed in delight as she rapidly flipped through the pictures Olette had taken. The objects had momentarily distracted her from her loss. That had been the whole purpose of Olette visiting. She had known Selphie had been really down lately. It seemed uncommon for such a bubbly girl to be so quiet during group meetings at the mansion or during their snow rituals. In order words, Olette had come for an intervention, and Zidane had tagged along with her.

"These are great! You're awesome with a camera, Olette!" Selphie exclaimed as she forcefully hugged her scared friend. Her emerald eyes had a sparkle in them. "Now I can be a star!" She lifted her hand up into the air and struck a pose.

Zidane laughed nervously. Selphie could be so strange sometimes. He plopped down onto her mustard colored couch. "So Selphie, what've you been up to lately?" he inquired trying to return her attention to that of rationality.

Her posture took a sudden turn. She looked rigid. "Just thinking to myself that's all. What does it matter anyway? It's not like I've changed or anything, right?" she answered as she spun around on her heels. She would manufacture her happiness. It was if there was a mask on her face. "Besides you never ask that question anyway! Let's get on to more important subjects, like how you and Garnet are doing. Have you gotten to approach-."

"No! Don't change the subject. It's okay if you're sad because of Tidus, but don't worry he'll come back before you know it. Right, Olette?" Zidane said with a smile. He glanced at his other brunette companion whom was nodding furiously. "So, would you like to talk about it?" Zidane asked.

Selphie smiled weakly. She plopped down beside the tailed boy and let out a small sigh. "I know he'll come back eventually, but I wish Yuna would just leave me alone. She calls in the middle of the night telling me to blame Kairi for everything. That it was her fault he got sent away. If only she wasn't rich," Selphie blurted out. Zidane and Olette stared at her bewildered. This was an interesting spin to the plot of their lives.

"What?" They exclaimed in unison.

* * *

Kairi had her face pressed to her bedroom window. She was contently and intently watching the snowflakes float down from the heavens. The brunette boy also watched her contently and intently. He loved the way her breath appeared and disappeared on the glass. Just as he loved her auburn locks that were somehow also being pressed onto the glass. She was acting so cute. Sora blushed at his own thoughts. "Sora-Sora!" she suddenly cried.

"Whoa!" he cried before falling back onto her bed. He heard her angelic giggle. Another blush. "I-I thought you were watching the snowf-flakes, Kai-Kai," he stammered. He tried to sit up but she jumped on top of him, pinning him down. His face was gradually growing brighter. "Kai-Kai?" he asked wondering if someone outside had hypnotized her into acting like a sex-loving diva.

The auburn beauty only giggled again. "Nah, it got boring. But watching your face turn red is a lot more interesting," she responded softly. Just the sound of her voice was enough to give him butterflies. They seemed to be fleeing from the atomic war that was going on in there. "Are you getting a fever or something? Then again, that would be a coincidence seeing as every tim-."

Before she could finish her sentence he pulled her down, so that now she was lying atop his body. Now it was her turn to blush. He held her tightly in a hungry hug. Kairi didn't know how to respond. Her heart was telling her to return with a fierce, passionate hug of her own, but her mind simply refused. The nerves weren't being sent through her body and she was stiff. "Sora," she whispered feeling his chest rise and fall, "What're you doing?"

"I couldn't resist, you were just too pretty," Sora replied closing his eyes and resting. He felt her body grow stiff. If his eyes had been open just then he probably would've saw Kairi's face in a state redder than her hair. He pulled her in tighter not wanting to let go.

She felt her breath escape her. She groaned weakly wishing Sora would stop trying to squeeze her to death; at least it would be out of…love? She lifted her head so she could try to break away, but in response Sora kissed her. Her eyes slowly closed, rather than her normal wide eyed reaction. _'Maybe it wouldn't be that bad if I did love him…' _she thought before she felt herself lower back onto him.

**_You're a mistake…_**

**Who could ever love you?**

Kairi felt herself shrink. The words of her lost father echoed throughout her mind. _'No, I'd only be a mistake for him. It's best that I spare him and forget about such feelings.' _

"Kairi?"

She opened her eyes and instantly got lost in his cerulean ones. They looked so concerned, but why? He had nothing to be concerned about. "Are you crying?" he inquired with a wavering voice. The brunette could only wonder if he had done something wrong. "I'm sorry if I did anything to upset you. I shouldn't come on to you like that. Please forgive me!" Sora begged.

To his dismay she hadn't heard a word he said. She was too busy staring at the tear that had fallen onto her finger. "Am I really this sensitive?" she thought out loud as she wiped her eyes dry. "I'm sorry Sora, I didn't mean to worry you like that. Perhaps I just need some alone time? But don't worry I'm not mad at you, so don't think that okay?" Kairi attempted to explain.

Hopelessly, the brunette boy sighed and granted her wish. "Okay, I'll talk to you later Kairi. I'll go make dinner or something," he mumbled before closing the door behind him. He leaned back on her door in defeat. _'And just when I thought things were going so well,' _he thought with a frown. Another sigh escaped his lips. "Hmm, maybe we'll have porkchop for dinner," he said to himself before walking down the hallway and away from Kairi's bedroom door.

* * *

"Now, just one more little tug and I'll be free!" the blonde boy exclaimed too loudly. It was so loud that he woke the young lady sleeping soundly in front of him. His breathing stopped as she stirred. "Umm, go to sleep, go to sleep-," he frantically began to sing.

The ebony haired girl laughed lightly. "No need to try and sing me to sleep, it's too late Tidus," Garnet explained, "Besides you sound tone-deaf either way, but it was a brave attempt." Even when she was insulting him, she had this way of sounding polite. Tidus wondered who raised her and why they could've have raised Roxas too. She cleared her throat and stretched out her arms. "But could you do me a favor and not tell Yuna about this?" Garnet requested.

He nodded obediently. "But on one condition. Could you not tell her about this either?" he asked as he lifted his hands to show that he was not bound to his chair-like prison anymore. He heard her laugh again. Now he could understand why Zidane had such a big crush on her. After staying with the four ladies for these past weeks he understood that Garnet was not anything like them. She was actually…nice, and truly did have that feathery laugh Zidane described so well. "Wow," he blurted out.

Garnet raised her eyebrow. "Wow? Thought I was going to tattle?" she inquired in slight confusion. Before she could rattle on Tidus quickly fixed himself.

"I mean, ahem. Look at the snow," he quickly answered.

She sighed. "I doubt that's what you meant to say. What's on your mind? Are you still a little freaked out that Yuna took the time to actually kidnap you and make us take shifts in watching you? It's amazing what money can buy you," Garnet blabbered. The blonde boy only shook his head. "Then what is it?" she asked.

"I was just thinking, um, do you know a boy by the name of Zidane? Better yet, have you met or noticed a boy by the name of Zidane? He's not that hard to miss, he's got a tail! So have you at least heard-."

"Of course I know Zidane," she cut in.

Tidus's expression took a turn to that of pure, unrated shock. "But whenever he tries to talk to you, you just ignore him and walk away," he explained.

"I know, and it's not very nice of me. But I have too, you're not the only prisoner in this mansion," Garnet replied sadly. She sighed and lay back on the couch. Nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

_A/N: Oh snap. Lol, did you expect this turn? And now aren't you all happy because you know what has happened to Tidus? He's not really arrested. I couldn't do that to my story. Well there's your plot twist for today. I think I have too many plot twists, lol. Anyway please review! Thanks a bunch for sticking with me throughout my horrible writer's block._


	37. The Truth Hurts Worse

_A/N: Yeah that three-chapter thing never happened. It took me an entire day just to write that. I suppose I must accept that I'm just not that fast of an updater or writer anymore. It's not that I'm busy; I've just actually begun to think about what I'm writing I suppose. But my update inspiration has come from a terrific story by xoX-IHeartSureal-Xox called Memoirs of an Amnesiac. It's brilliant really; you should go read it. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Truth Hurts Worse

Tidus watched Garnet's actions. She confused him completely. How could she be so funny, so sweet and hang out with girls like Yuna? There had to be some reason for her to remain the way she was. Even after a few weeks of hanging out with Yuna, Kairi had begun changing. She had mentioned something about being a prisoner though..."So wait...how are you a prisoner? I mean, how does she have a hold over you?" Tidus asked curiously.

Garnet sighed and sat up on the couch. "It's a long story, but I suppose it's not like you have anywhere to go, huh? Well back when I first moved to Traverse Town, I was the new kid. Well, of course I was the new kid. You see in all actuality, I did meet Zidane first, but Yuna promised me things and told me things that I dumbly believed. I was soon induced into their group; I wanted to talk to Zidane. I really did. But if I were to speak up against Yuna I might just end up worse than you," she explained sadly.

"What do you mean she told you things? Like what?" Tidus inquired.

Garnet's head drooped down in shame. "She told me reputations, so to speak. The Social Hierarchy. I didn't want to be an outsider...I was so stupid," she replied shamefully.

He gave her a gentle smile and lifted himself from his so-called confinement. He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just know, if you ever feel like leaving their group there's a spot for you in ours," he offered. She smiled up at him. "We could even become Organization XIV if you want," he joked. This made her laugh. Tidus enjoyed her laugh. It reminded him how even during Christmas those imprisoning you could be jolly. Even if they were also here against their will.

Footsteps were suddenly heard coming from the hallway. It was the all too familiar clack of Yuna's four-inch, black heels. Garnet and Tidus stared at each other in fear. Quickly, he ran back to his chair and Garnet quickly, horribly knotted his rope around his wrists and ankles. It was a terrible knot job, but she hoped Miss Prissy wouldn't notice. Yuna entered the room just as Garnet was scurrying back to the couch. Her right brown eyebrow was raised at the ebony hair in suspicion. "What were you doing near my Tidus?" she asked, anger obvious in her tone.

The poor girl didn't know how to answer. "I-I was...I was, he needed-I mean." Garnet had always stumbled over her words when she was lying, and Yuna knew this. She slowly made her way over the cowering girl. If it was possible, Tidus could've sworn he saw Garnet shrink. She had always been relatively short, but now she seemed to be the size of a pea compared to the big, bad Yuna.

"You let him have another breather didn't you?" Yuna growled. Garnet could only nod. Yuna growled louder and struck her across the face. She stumbled downward using only one hand to cater to her reddened cheek. "You're so stupid! I told you the only way he gets released from that chair is if he agrees to spend Christmas with me!" Yuna shouted furiously.

Her eyes began to water. Yuna was out of control. Slapping Garnet once was not enough, she wanted more. She wanted her to regret her actions. Yuna grabbed a vase from the coffee table and raised it about toss it at poor Garnet. "Stop!" Tidus cried as he broke free from the poorly tied pieces of rope. Yuna glanced at him; there was a smirk on her features. Had she set this up? "I'll spend Christmas with you, just don't hurt her," Tidus pleaded.

The crazy brunette set the vase back down and took a seat on the couch. She was now quite composed, compared to how she had been acting before. "Okay, but here's the deal. You'll treat me like you treat Selphie...no, even better. We'll go back to Traverse Town and all of my false accusations will be dropped. You will stay in my mansion until school starts, got it? Good," Yuna explained as she linked her hands and set them upon her lap. She waited for his reply.

Tidus kept in his emotions. He couldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she had hurt him, and would hurt Selphie. He prayed Selphie would understand. "Sure, your wish is my command," he deadpanned.

Yuna smiled sweetly. "That's great, I'll go pack my things. After all, we have a long trip back to Traverse. See you in the morning, darling," she replied happily. Before she left she made sure to kiss his cheek. Once she was out of sight Tidus wiped his face in disgust.

"Garnet, are you all right?" he asked as he extended a hand to help her up. She had still been sitting on the ground holding her sore cheek. She nodded, all trace of watery eyes disappearing. "I'm sorry she did that to you, but it's okay now. And I have a request. Can you do something for me?" Tidus asked.

"Anything you ask."

* * *

"Dinner!" Sora shouted from the kitchen. He was fixing the plates. Boy, did he want a set of fine China. It seemed their current set was wearing down quickly. Sora sighed. Though he had given into his appetite and made pork chop, he was still not cheered up. He was relieved to see Roxas enter the kitchen first, but also saddened because there was no one to say 'Wow, Sora-Sora! It smells great, what is it?'

Roxas licked his lips hungrily. "Pork chop! My favorite!" he cried happily. The boy had a lot of favorites. He grabbed a plate and scurried to the table. Without warning he began to stuff his face. That's when Naminé entered the room and was disgusted beyond belief. She nearly cried when she saw Roxas's face and hands. He hadn't bothered to grab utensils.

"Thanks for cooking dinner, Sora. I say that for Roxas more than anyone," Naminé stated with a scared smile. It was times like these when she wondered why she liked the blonde boy so much. Regardless, she repeated the same process (but grabbed a fork and a knife) and got to eating.

Sora began to worry. Why hadn't Kairi come down? "Hey guys, I'm going to bring Kairi her plate. She said she wasn't feeling well," he lied with a grin. Roxas and Naminé just nodded in response; it's not like they were bothered at all by the alone time they had just been promised. The spiky brunette grabbed the two remaining plates and left the kitchen to begin his long journey up the stairs.

Roxas and Naminé stared at each other. Roxas smiled nervously, sauce from the pork chop spread around his mouth. Naminé chuckled and handed the dirty boy a napkin. "You are filthy, you know that?" she laughed. It was more of statement than a question. Roxas wiped the sauce from around his mouth and sighed. "But at least you know how to clean up," she added cheerily. She smiled at him and scooted closer. Roxas blushed at the contact. "So that's why tomorrow, we're going to clean the bathrooms!" Naminé exclaimed happily. His face went from satisfied to disgusted.

"Naminé! Why?" he asked practically in hysterics.

"Because they're dirty," Naminé answered frankly. He was silent.

* * *

"Kairi...I bro-I brought you dinner," Sora stumbled over his words. He looked down at the plates in his hands. He hoped she would forgive him for disturbing her. To his surprise she opened the door and smiled at him. He blinked, completely and utterly baffled by her actions. "I thought you might be hungry," he quickly added. He offered her the plate and she graciously took it. "Here's a fork and a knife I figured you might need it," he also mentioned. He placed the silverware on the plate and turned to leave.

Kairi frowned a little. "Wait," she called out. He spun around all too quickly. Yes, he was an eager boy. "Could you come inside...and eat with me? I-I would like some company," she explained as she nervously stared down at the floor. He could only grin. Sora was so happy. She opened the door wider allowing him to stroll inside and take a seat on the floor. After closing the door, Kairi joined him.

There was silence for a couple of minutes. Only the sounds of munching and cutting were heard. Every now and then Sora would glance at the auburn beauty seated next to him. He was quite surprised she had let him in, but hey, he couldn't complain. The silence was the only thing ruining his evening with her. Every time he stole a look she had such a depressed countenance. It truly saddened him. _'What made her so sad all of a sudden, she had been so happy earlier,'_ he thought as he stared at his half-eaten pork chop. Part of him wanted to pull her into a hug and whisper words of comfort, while the other wanted to respect her space and sit on the other side of the room.

It was strange to her. He was being so quiet. She hadn't even thought that it was possible for Sora to be so silent. Did he sense that something was wrong? _'I'm horrible at hiding my emotions. He's probably wondering what's wrong with me. I don't think I'm ready to tell him the full story of what happened between my dad and I. And even if I do, would he remember the little girl bleeding on the carpet?'_ she thought. Her pork chop had barely been touched. She wasn't hungry for pork chop, or any food. She was starving for love. Love from the boy sitting next to her. Yet, she would never tell him so. The girl was just a tad confused about her feelings.

"Kai-Kai...are you okay?" Sora finally asked. Falling to temptation wasn't such a bad thing was it?

Kairi breathed in sharply. That had surprised her. "I-I'm just fine, what makes you t-think otherwise?" she laughed nervously, quickly turning away from Sora. If she looked into those big, cerulean eyes she knew she would be compelled to tell him everything and cry while doing it.

His expression grew grim. She was lying. "Kairi, please. I want...I want to know what you're feeling. Please, let me in on your life just a little," he begged as he moved in front of her.

She continued to stare away from Sora's face. "You don't understand Sora, I just can't tell you," Kairi confessed. Sora gently put his hands on her cheeks and made it so that she had to face him. There was no way he was leaving her room without an answer. His eyes were pleading with her. Rather than looking stern and mean (which had been what she expected) they showed his kindness and his undying desire to help her heal. "It's just that-it's just that..." she began. And that's when the tears started to fall. She needn't say anymore. He acted before she could refuse and pulled her into a loving hug.

They stayed like that for what seemed to be hours for Kairi. She held onto him like a child holds onto their teddy bear while sleeping. She didn't want to let go. He was her comfort. As she cried into his shirt she began to wonder why she couldn't tell him of her rather disturbing past. Would it be so bad to let him in? He was obviously willing to listen. She couldn't think of anyone she'd rather share with. For now, she would just let him hold her.

* * *

Riku and Lulu walked in silence. The coffee meeting was over, and their plan had just begun. The albino boy, for the first time, could actually say he was looking forward to something. He didn't even mind the fact that Demyx and Axel would be working with himself and Lulu. Together they all made the perfect team. There were only four days left till Christmas Eve. It was strange, he had always vowed he would never wish that day to come, but now...it was weird. He sighed and stared at his floating breath.

"Do you think our plan is good enough?" Lulu asked. She had been walking beside him the entire time, latched onto his arm. "I just have this feeling we're going to get caught in the act. I mean, that's a buzz killer. I'd rather be caught afterwards when the deed is done, y'know?" she explained.

He glanced at her. "We'll get all we need to accomplished. You just do you magic and ensure our success, okay? In the mean time, remember to not mention this to anyone. Though, it's not you I'm worried about its Demyx..." Riku brooded.

She smirked. "I've already taken care of that problem," Lulu announced sinisterly.

"Oh, really?" Riku chimed.

"Let's just say, he knows what'll happen if he slips the secret to anyone. I told him of the various, twisted things I could do to him, and he swore he on his life he wouldn't tell, how ironic," Lulu chuckled. Riku laughed.

* * *

"Hey, orphan-family, what's happening?" Zidane asked as he strolled into the kitchen with Olette trailing behind him. He was shocked to see only Roxas and Naminé in the kitchen cleaning up the dinner dishes. Where were Riku, Sora, and Kairi? "Whoa, where's the rest of your fam?" Zidane asked curiously.

Roxas snorted. What kind of word was "fam"? "Sora and Kairi are eating upstairs, suspicious isn't it? And Riku went out a while ago. But where did you go today, Olette? You left the house all giggly," Roxas inquired as he wiped his hands dry on a towel.

"Oh, I went over to Selphie's to try and cheer her up, and ended up meeting with Zidane. Then he came back with me to mooch off of our food supply," Olette explained as she looked at Zidane amusedly. She had seen right through his chivalrous disguise. "So, what's for dinner I'm starved!" Olette announced.

"Pork chop," Naminé answered as she tried to stifle her giggles. The image of Roxas's saucy face was still fresh in her mind. That was a Christmas Greeting Card moment, if only she owned a camera.

"It's really good!" Roxas exclaimed still tasting his meal. Zidane and Olette made noises of approval and fixed their plates. They all sat at the table and began a discussion about Christmas, the presents they hoped to receive, and Tidus. He was a common topic after all.

* * *

Kairi wiped her eyes. She was done crying. Sora pulled away (soon regretting it) and let her have her space. She smiled weakly. "Thanks for that, I guess I just really need to cry," she started. Maybe there was a way she could keep her secret a little longer. "I'm sorry that your shirt is all wet now," Kairi apologized.

He shook his head. "No need to apologize, it's just a piece of clothing," Sora answered half-heartedly. With his thumb he wiped the remaining dampness from her face. "But could you explain what made you cry so much? I'd really like to know," he begged. How Kairi wished he hadn't said those words. She sighed.

_'I guess it's time for him to know, maybe there's some way I can leave the little boy out of the story,'_ she thought or hoped. "I suppose you deserve to know the details. Seeing as you just helped me through that. Well it's a long story, which goes back to when I was younger. You see I used to have a loving family, well sort of. My mother was a truly beautiful woman. She was so caring and she'd spend so much time with me. My father was a workaholic though. He was never really fit for a family. In short, he was an emotional wreck and a drunk. There were always several cases of beer in the fridge. Soon enough, we were having financial problems. I knew this because my mom was always yelling at my father. He blew so much money in the bars rather than what we really needed. He didn't agree, so he hit her," Kairi began to explain.

Sora was listening so intently. Sure, he had heard a little about her life before this, but the details were so gruesome. He was now beginning to understand her.

"It wasn't just a one time thing either. His drinking increased. He'd always come home drunk and he'd always beat my mother. She'd always tell me to go to sleep an hour before she knew he'd be home, but I still heard her screams and pleas. But one day, it seemed that he finally realized his mistakes. He ran to my mother and told her of his discovery. She cried out in joy. The next day he was sent into therapy. Everything was happy again. We were a happy family. So soon I forgot all the bad stuff. I would draw pictures of our happy family. He'd come home with flowers just for her. It was great. But one day, it was different. He came home; he didn't want me to hug his leg. All I remember is commotion in the kitchen and then my mother running out screaming for me to run away from daddy. I was so young and confused. He came out with a butcher knife. He killed her. Then he tortured me. He threw me into the street after he was done with me and ran off. But the things he said to me before that have been stuck in my mind. No one loves me. I'm a mistake. A burden to the planet. After that, all I remember is seeing lights approaching me, then nothing," she sadly concluded.

He frowned. "Kairi...you don't believe that do you?" he asked his eyes still showing that unique kindness. "It isn't true, it isn't," he insisted.

She didn't answer. Kairi only smiled in response. "But you see it didn't stop at that. It turns out the police, the hospital, no one was aware of what happened to me. I was just some girl they found dying on the street. My dad soon came to collect me. Of course, he lied saying my mother and I had disappeared. He faked his tears. He faked his surprise when they said mother was found dead on the ground. Thus, they dropped the case. It wasn't important. So I lived with him, cooked for him, and took care of him. Yet, he still punished me. He was never happy. At one point he didn't even want me leaving the house. One night he finally broke and stabbed me; I nearly died, but Miss Rinoa and the hospital saved me. As for my dad, he ran before the police could get him," she sighed.

The second she was done explaining he pulled her into another hug. "I'm so sorry Kairi, you've told me this before. But not in such detail," Sora cooed.

"I know, I just felt you should know everything that runs through my mind," Kairi explained, "This is kind of my way of saying I trust you. So there you have it..."

Sora pulled away and stared at her. "It's okay though, Kairi. That's all over now. Your father was just a messed up guy, and the things he said to you were lies. You do know that right?"

She shook her head. "How do you know if they were lies or not? I was one of the only kids who remained at the orphanage till I had to be sent here! Sora, no one wanted me! So I think it's true, no one will ever love me," Kairi lamented.

Her words stung. "Kairi, everyone here is pretty much an orphanage reject. I mean, just think if all that hadn't happened to you, you would've never met me or anyone else here," he reasoned.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," she muttered under her breath. He gave her a strange look and she only shook her head. "Nothing!" she quickly uttered.

Sora shrugged. "Anyway...just know, Kairi you are loved. And the person, who loves you, is me. And all of your friends. Of course…that would be people, but never mind. I think I'm going to go finish my meal in my room. See you later," he stated. With that said, he picked up his plate and quietly retreated from her room. Kairi only stared at the door in disbelief. So he was right. She knew he loved her, he had confessed it on many an occasion; it was just hard for her to grasp the concept of love. The main question was: did she love him back?

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys. I just read my entire fan-fiction. I think that was my problem. I didn't know what the heck I was writing. Though it was painful reading through all those mistakes. I'm definitely going to go into editing mode when I end this, but before the sequel. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though. It was wonderful to write. It's been so long since I've been able to say that without putting on a false smile. I actually didn't feel forced to write this. I just hope I caught all the mistakes this time. Well anyway, I'm going to get to work on the next chapter. Please review! I appreciate every single one I get._


	38. Dates&Messages

_A/N: Yay another update! I've really gotten into this y'know? Maybe I can get back to doing my one chapter a day. Since I now realize it takes me three days to write one non-stop. We'll just have to see now won't we? Anyway, onto the story! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dates&Messages

Sora had finished his dinner, but was too lazy to take his plate downstairs. He was staring up at the ceiling thinking over all the things Kairi had told him. He just felt like he was missing something. There was something she must've left out. He just kept thinking there was some kind of link that was right in front of him, but he just couldn't seem to figure out what that was. He sighed._ 'I think I finally get her now. All of those things she has said and done, I think I finally see her reasoning. Like why she can't adjust to the fact that I love her. I guess going through something like that really changes a person. I suppose I wouldn't know, my parents never told me any of that. From what I can remember they loved me, a lot…' _he thought with a sad smile.

_A young couple walked down the street holding hands with their dear son. He was merely a toddler, but they loved him regardless. The young woman on the left was quite the beauty. She had short, light brown hair that fell a little past her ears. Her eyes were a stunning shade of gray and she was just a tad tanned. She wore a yellow sundress, which was common since they lived on an island. The dashing, young gentleman on the far right was nothing more than handsome. He had dreamy, cerulean eyes and perfect brown locks to boot. He wore a cheesy grin and of course, the usual jeans and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. _

_The woman smiled. "Sora, Sora dear," she cooed to her son. The little boy looked up giving her a confused look. His mouth was formed into a little circle and his cerulean eyes were wide. "Aww look at him, isn't he just the cutest Hideki?" she asked turning her gaze to her husband. _

_"Yes, of course, he gets his looks and sense of humor from me," Hideki joked as he lifted the boy into his arms. "See, look." Both males faced her. He gave her his goofy smile and Sora imitated it perfectly. She laughed. _

_"I see your point," she replied with a smile._

_Just as they were about to turn the corner and approach the beach a man dressed in black jumped out. He pointed the loaded gun at the couple, his finger on the trigger. "Ayako, get behind me," Hideki ordered. In an instant, she took Sora away from him and did as she was instructed. Hideki put his hands up trying his best not to set the man off. _

_"Give me all your money!" the man demanded still threatening to shoot. _

_Hideki nodded and pulled out his wallet from his back pocket. "Here take it, just please don't hurt us," he obeyed. The man didn't answer; he only greedily stuffed the wallet into his own pocket. _

_"What about her?" Now he pointed the gun behind him. On Ayako's shoulder was a brown purse. She quickly handed her purse over shifting Sora to her other hip. The man smirked and stuffed the purse under his arm. "I like those pearls," he added shamelessly. Ayako quickly took them off and handing them to the man. She was now to the point of tears. Sora could sense the tension and began to cry. He cried a wail so loud that anyone could hear. "Shut the baby up or I will!" the man threatened. Ayako stifled a scream and tried to calm her child. "Turn around!" he ordered._

_"Ayako, put Sora in that bush over there," he said. She, once again did as she was told. She kissed Sora on his forehead and whispered 'I love you' before joining her husband. The couple turned away from the mugger with their hands up. They were completely frozen in fear, but not for themselves for their beloved toddler. _

_The man started to back away planning on running away, but Sora's sudden cry startled him and he accidentally pulled the trigger. Hideki fell to the ground, his shirt quickly soaking in blood. "Hideki!" Ayako screamed bending down to try and nurse her husband, but he was gone. Sora continued to cry. The man pointed the gun to Ayako. _

_"Shut him up!" he ordered again. But the woman was in hysterics she didn't know up from down. She screamed out, but was quickly silenced..._

Sora awoke in a cold sweat. "I must've dozed off," he mumbled to himself as he sat up. He looked around and guessed it was some time after midnight. He let out a quiet sigh. "That was a weird dream. I can now see why Kairi wakes up in the middle of the night screaming," he muttered quietly. He stared back up at the ceiling. "Kairi..." he mumbled dreamily.

He got out of his bed and left his room walking across the hallway. Sora quietly creaked open Kairi's door to see her sound asleep. _'This won't be my best decision,'_ he thought as he stepped into her room closing the door behind him. Silently, he made his way over to her bed. He kneeled down beside her. She was flawless, besides the drool starting to sneak its way out of her mouth. He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. "I guess I've been kind of greedy, huh? You're not ready to love yet and probably won't be for a while. But that's okay Kairi, when you're ready my door is open," he whispered. He leaned in and gently kissed her lips. "I love you," he whispered.

Sora quickly, but silently retreated from her room being sure not to leave any trace of him ever being there. He shut his own door after he slid inside leaning back on it for support. A few tears were slowly making their way down his face. He sniffled and wiped them off with his arm. "It'll be better for her if I back off for a while, I don't want to rush her into something she can't handle," he silently agreed.

* * *

Namine groaned rolling over in her bed. The sunlight was deadly in the morning. She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Good morning, room," she said tiredly. She opened her eyes and sat up, stretching a bit. Her sleeping clothes last night had consisted of a white tank that showed a little mid-drift and some baggy, silky pajama pants. Namine continued to stretch as she walked to her door planning on visiting the bathroom, the filthy bathroom. When she pulled the door open she was surprised to see Roxas standing on the other side, his arm raised showing that he was about to knock. "Oh, Roxas!" she exclaimed as her cheeks slowly turned red. He was dressed in a pair of light blue boxers and a white muscle shirt. A pang went through her though, seeing as she had still not been asked to be his...girl? He just automatically seemed to assume that had already been clarified. "Good morning," she added in a duller tone.

Roxas was a little surprised, she didn't sound too happy this morning. Maybe she was a still a little groggy from just waking up? "Namine, I wanted to ask you something...I just couldn't wait so I'm going to just ask you now, is that okay?" Roxas asked nervously. She nodded hopefully. "I wanted to know if you'd like to go out today...rather than clean the bathrooms," he offered.

A smile found its way on her face. "Like...on a date? An actual date?" she inquired eagerly. Roxas shyly nodded. She squealed in response, "Yes! I'd love too!"

"Okay, well you get dressed...and I will too. Then we'll head out," Roxas instructed with a grin. She closed the door on him so she could pick out her outfit and do a bunch of other girly things. He smiled. He could still hear her squealing from behind the wooden door. She was so cute when she was extremely happy. Roxas scratched his head. "Guess I better take the bathroom before she beats me too it." He remembered the last time she took the bathroom before him. She spent two hours in there, and what was she doing? Cleaning the tub.

Inside Naminé's room she was busily trying to decide on the best outfit. She was tearing things out of her closet left and right. The adrenaline rush was taking her over. This was the day she had been waiting for. An actual date with Roxas! Not just the usual 'Hey, let's go to the dance together', a real date! She let out another excited squeal. She turned around and looked at all the clothes she had thrown out. There seemed to be three complete outfits hanging on her bed. The first was a combination between white and blue. It was a light blue, short-sleeve blouse with leggings and a stainless, white pleated skirt. The second was a green sundress. _'I didn't know I had something green?'_ she thought quite confused. The third was a pale pink and white polka dotted tank, a white jean jacket, and a pair of light blue jeans.

She tapped her chin. Roxas had already seen the first outfit and she never really liked the color green, so the third must be the winner. "Great!" she exclaimed before neatly putting the rejected outfits back into her closet. She grabbed her chosen outfit and ran out of room and into the bathroom that Roxas had just come out of. She didn't even notice he was only in a towel. It was a big relief to him. He quickly scurried into his room and slammed the door shut. He breathed in deeply.

He smiled to himself. He was so happy she had chosen him over cleaning. Now maybe he could gather up the courage to actually ask her to be his girl. There had been many unsuccessful attempts, counting last night when Sora had gone up to have dinner with Kairi.

_Namine and Roxas sat at the table in silence. He glanced at her admiring her petite figure. She had the glow of an angel. She noticed his staring and looked back. "Yes?" she questioned unaware of what he was thinking. _

_"Umm, I've been thinking..." he began as his cheeks began to redden._

_"About?" Naminé asked. _

_"...us," Roxas mumbled. She fell silent. His heart was pounding. __"We should do the dishes now!" he exclaimed as he grabbed their plates and practically ran to the sink. _

Roxas sighed. "That isn't going to happen this time! I've got all day after all, I can't possibly chicken out!" he exclaimed proudly. He pulled open his closet and discovered he had no idea what to wear. He felt like a girl. If it had been any other situation he wouldn't have cared as much, but he just had to impress Namine. It was all part of his master plan. After a few minutes of thought he finally decided on a pair of faded jeans, his skater shoes, and a cool, maroon button down shirt.

The couple dressed and met in the hallway. "Ready to go Namine?" he asked offering his arm, which she gladly accepted. She nodded eagerly still trying to contain her squeals of happiness. Together they walked down the stairs getting an amused look from Riku who was in the kitchen drinking coffee. "We're leaving to go on a date so don't wait up!" he shouted as they passed the kitchen. So what if Roxas was a bit of a bragger. Riku only rolled his eyes and watched them pass.

* * *

Kairi awoke in silence. She found it strange. There was no Sora at her side pleading with her to get up. It was completely quiet and it worried her. She slowly got out of bed and made her way to the door. She opened it expecting to see Sora standing on the other side, but he was nowhere to be seen. _'Well his door is open so maybe he's in there,'_ she thought walking over to his doorway. Kairi peered in and saw nobody inside. She began to chew on her bottom lip. Where could that boy possibly be? She knew he wasn't cooking breakfast, because she would be able to smell it from up here. She sighed, deciding to give up her search for now and visit the bathroom.

When she pulled the door open Olette was standing there frozen in her action of opening the door. "Hey Kairi," she said nervously.

"Have you seen Sora this morning?" Kairi asked sounding almost too concerned.

Olette paused. "I think he left early in the morning. He woke me up and told me he was going to see the sunrise in the park, I think. It was really early for me so I don't remember much. I hope that helped you," she said still trying to leave. Whenever she was around Kairi she felt like such a backstabber. How could she allow herself to leak information about the girl's life to Yuna so she could take it and use it for her evil? "Well I've got stuff to do, bye!" Olette cried. With that she ran down the hallway and into her room.

_'Since when was Sora interested in sunrises?'_ she thought blankly. "Guess I'll take a shower and go see if he's still at the park," she mumbled to herself. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Traverse Town. Its beauty was indescribable. Tidus breathed in deeply. The air was different here than in Twilight Town. His return would've been much better if Yuna hadn't been attached to his arm. How he wished she were Selphie. _'Just four more days Tidus. Think of it this way, at least you aren't still tied to that chair,'_ he thought; so there was a positive side to everything. Yuna giggled. "What're you thinking about, sugar?" she asked as she ran her fingers down his arm.

He twitched. "Just glad to be back in this town and not held prisoner in Twilight Town," he answered frankly.

Yuna glared at him. "You brought that upon yourself you know," she hissed, "Come on, my mansion is this way!" Before Tidus could retort he was being dragged down Oater Street toward Yuna's rather extravagant home. He just hoped Garnet had kept her promise and went to tell Selphie what was really going on. He wanted his girlfriend to know how much he cared, and how sorry he was that he couldn't be with her this season.

_'There's always next year,'_ Tidus sighed. How he longed to see the perky brunette. The one dragging him by his arm was not exactly the best sight to wake up to. Paine came up behind him and began pushing him. "Hurry up! We don't have all day!" she snapped. It was as if she was some kind of slave driver, and he was her victim.

"Here we are!" Yuna exclaimed happily. She released his arm and opened the gate "Make yourself at home dear, after all, we do have four whole days together," she giggled. He twitched again. The song she sung at the Halloween Costume Dance began running through his head. She wouldn't rape him, would she? If she even came close to touching him in that way he wouldn't hesitate to hit her. He gulped. He wasn't emotionally ready to be touched that way, nor would he ever be if she were the girl that was touching him.

Fuu pushed through the front door and turned on the lights. "It's good to be back in Traverse. I thought I was going to get fat from all those Sea-Salt Ice Creams," she announced tossing her things in Yuna's living room.

"Maybe if you had some self restraint you wouldn't have to worry about getting fat," Paine snickered as she leaned back on the wall.

Yuna sighed. "Don't even start bickering, I'm going to take Tidus upstairs and show him his room. You better not break anything while I'm gone!" she shouted as she was walking up the stairs dragging Tidus along with her. "You'll get used to their petty arguments eventually. But anyway, this room, right here, is mine." She pushed open the door to reveal a mainly aqua colored room. She had an under the sea theme. "And this one at the end of the hall is yours," she added. He would be staying in an equally as sea-themed room. "Fuu and Paine sleep on the third floor where the entertainment mostly is."

"Entertainment?" Tidus asked.

"You know, video games and such. But you won't be doing any of that will you? No, you'll be paying attention to me and all my beauty," she sighed happily. She really did have a big ego.

* * *

_Ding Dong_

_'I'll get it!'_

Garnet stood at the Tillmit's doorstep. She was practically quivering in fear. She had never really gotten to know Selphie, but with all the horrible things Yuna had done to her it was clear that she must not like Garnet very much. She ran her fingers nervously through her ebony hair as she awaited her doom. _'Please don't slam the door in my face,'_ she pleaded as she stared into the sky. The girl was dressed in an orange shirt, white blazer, and the usual pair of jeans. Her shoes were just normal burgundy boots. She had on the usual jewelry, but no makeup.

Finally Selphie pulled open the door shocked to see Garnet standing on the other side. She swallowed nervously. "Before you kick me off of your property hear me out," she pleaded giving Selphie the sincerest look she could conjure. Selphie bit down on her bottom lip looking downward. Garnet couldn't blame her for not trusting her right off the bat. Her association with Yuna had killed her, or at least Selphie's impression of her.

"Fine, I'll listen to you," Selphie answered after a long pause. She stepped outside, still in her pajamas and closed the door behind her. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about? And if it's about Yuna wanting something else I have, tell her she can have the rest of me. There isn't much left once you take my reputation, dignity, both of my boyfriends, and my life," Selphie grumbled.

Garnet smiled grimly. "I haven't come with a message from Yuna, it's actually Tidus who asked me to come here," she replied as she looked down at her shoes. It's amazing how much Selphie intimidated her.

Selphie stared at her in disbelief. "What?" she inquired before grabbing Garnet by her shoulders. "You have a message from Tidus for me? Come in! We can talk about this in my room!" She grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her inside. "Leave your shoes there please," Selphie instructed. Garnet stared around Selphie's house. It actually looked like a normal home, just the average home. She liked it. It wasn't too lavish and it wasn't too plain. "My room's this way."

"Okay," she mumbled as she followed Selphie. She followed her through a bright yellow door decorated with daisies. She couldn't expect anything less from the brunette. Seeing her room decorated with all kinds of bright yellow things made sense. After all, when they weren't in school all she seemed to wear was yellow. Selphie plopped down in a beanbag offering the one beside her to Garnet. She sat down and took in a deep breath.

"So what's the message?" Selphie asked eagerly.

Garnet smiled nervously. "Tidus wanted me to tell you he's back in town. But before you celebrate, he also wanted me to tell you the bad news," she said. Selphie's smile dropped. Her eyes said 'What bad news?' Garnet felt so guilty. She hated being the bearer of bad news. "He has to stay with Yuna for Christmas so she will drop her charges. B-But he says don't worry its only five days counting the actual day. Then he'll be back," Garnet explained tenderly.

Selphie was stunned. "What?" she blurted.

* * *

_A/N: Oooh, Tidus is back! Everyone celebrate lol. Well you don't have to really. Seeing as the best part hasn't happened just yet. And let's see, Namine and Roxas are going on a date I wonder how that will turn out. The next chapter will mostly be centered on them since I want to capture that fully. As for Sora and Kairi you'll see, and Selphie and Tidus will have their moment soon enough. So please review and thanks for reading!_


	39. The Old and The New

_A/N: Look! It's the next chapter!. I'm going to enjoy writing this, it'll be the Namixas story I never had. -pouts- I will get to write one of those. Just wait till 'Anything For You' is over! I'll show you incapability! ...Anyway, I'll just go ahead and skip to the disclaimer before I scare myself and mentally injure someone. Not that that has happened before..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Old and The New

Garnet bit down on her lip. "I guess I should start from the beginning," she thought out loud. Selphie nodded still holding her shocked countenance. "You see, Yuna, as you already know wasn't really sexually harassed by Tidus. She set this whole thing up, I regret to say we made those posters that were littered around the hallways and she bribed the Head of Police to have Tidus sent away," she explained without daring to stare into Selphie's emerald eyes. She was so ashamed of herself. "And since the day he was taken away he's been in Yuna's Twilight Town vacation home. She had Fuu, Paine, and I patrolling him, which is why he told me to tell you all of these things. He was going to be held there until he agreed to spend quality time with her," Garnet explained sadly.

"That's not fair!" Selphie shouted. She jumped to her feet and began to pace around her room. "The Head of Police should be fired! And now I wished I had signed that petition for a jury and trial!"Selphie whined miserably.

"It's mainly my fault that it ended up this way," Garnet sighed. Selphie eyed her. "If I hadn't have got caught letting him free from his confinement she wouldn't have slapped me and Tidus wouldn't have had to step in to protect me," she uttered regretfully.

Selphie smiled. _'Good old Tidus, always standing up for those in need,' _she thought. "And that's what I would expect him to do," Selphie answered kindly. Garnet looked up. "He always felt he had to play hero you know. But I guess I can stand this. If it'll keep him in town I'll be okay. But do you think there's some way I could see him before his four days were up?" Selphie asked.

"I don't know; we'll work something out. But I have to go, Yuna wanted me back by this time," Garnet answered.

She frowned. "Don't listen to her, why don't you stay. Oh! Someone's coming over who has wanted to talk to you for years! Please stay, he'd be very happy!" she begged as she chased Garnet to the front door. "Please!" she whined.

"I can't stay! I'm not ready to face Zidane yet," Garnet answered as she slipped on her boots. Selphie blinked. How'd she know? Garnet pulled open the door and there was Zidane standing on the other side loaded with schoolbooks, he happened to be looking through one at the moment. She held her breath. Maybe she could sneak away without him noticing.

"Hey Selphie, since when did you have algebra. I was just looking through this and-" He looked up; his eyes widened. "G-G-Gar-," he stammered. Before he could finish his stuttering she shoved past him and ran down the street. Zidane turned around completely dropping all the books to the ground. "Wait!" he cried, but she was already gone. He sighed in defeat.

Selphie patted him on his back. "I have some good news, though!" Selphie cheered.

"What?" Zidane moped.

"She knows you exist. I was asking her to stay longer, but she said she wasn't ready to talk to you!" Selphie exclaimed excitedly. Zidane's face brightened up. That would explain all the times she had escaped him. She had been purposely avoiding him. For some reason that made it all worthwhile.

Namine and Roxas sat across from each other in a small breakfast diner in the first district. They were both looking down at their empty plates shyly. To think Roxas had once thought this date thing would be a piece of cake. It was harder than he had believed. He and Namine alone, with no one else he could actually say he knew around? It was a miracle, but an embarrassing miracle. He looked up at the honey blonde to see her fumbling with her napkin. He knew then she was as equally (possibly even more) nervous than he was. He swallowed hard. "So Namine, did you enjoy your breakfast?" he asked trying to initiate a conversation.

"Yeah, I think Sora's cooking is better though," she replied still staring down at the plate. It was as if her neck muscle didn't exist. She couldn't move her head. "Is it just me or has gravity increased. And look at this table it's filthy!" she complained. She quickly pulled a can of sanitizer from her pocket and began spraying the table down.

Roxas grabbed her arm. "Stop! Naminé, stop!" he cried as he waved away the sanitizer spray. She quickly stuffed the can back into her pocket and looked over at him. It was kind of funny to see him coughing because some of it had found its way in his mouth. Namine stifled a laugh. "Look, maybe we weren't ready for a date. Maybe we're just too nervous to function by ourselves," he explained as he released her arm.

Her smile faded. _'Is that what he really thinks? We're not ready? Well I guess we won't be ready for anything ever!'_ she thought. She frowned at him. "Well if that's what you truly think this date is over and it barely began!" she shouted, "Good day, Roxas. Oh, and by the way I will never be your girl! So...take that and shove it in your dispensable air freshener can!" She stood up and stormed out of the diner.

"Gah! W-Wait Namine!" he exclaimed quickly pulling out some munny from his pocket to pay for the meal. "Don't leave!" he shouted as he too ran out of the diner. He looked around; Namine was nowhere to be seen. "Namine! Where are you?" he called. He put his hands on his head.

"Sir! You're two munny short!" Roxas growled and kicked the waiter in his shin. "Sir!" the man cried out in pain. Roxas sighed and threw two munny on the ground before running in some random direction he had hoped Namine took. He had really messed up this time._ 'Stupid! Why did I even say that? I knew it would offend her! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' _he thought mentally beating himself with a crowbar. Roxas was very specific when he was punishing himself.

Namine had fled to the Third District. She was now wandering around aimlessly still fuming over what Roxas had said to her. "I can't believe him!" she exclaimed angrily. She ended up scaring some of the little kids that had been playing ball a few feet away. She quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry!" she apologized. That hadn't stopped the kids from crying in fear or the nasty glares their mothers were giving her. "At least your kids aren't dirty!" she exclaimed as she quickly ran the other direction. She found it hard to run seeing as the farther she went the deeper the snow was became. In the end, she toppled onto the ground tripping over a hidden rock.

She laid face down in the snow. "Cud twis gwet inee whorst?" she asked; her voice muffled by the snow.

"Namine?" She lifted her face from the snow expecting to see an apologetic Roxas, but instead she saw Seifer approaching her fallen body. She quickly stumbled to her feet. "Hey, that's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for. What's a girl like you doing out here all by yourself? Oh, I bet Roxas is around here somewhere waiting to jump out and wail on me," Seifer muttered as he looked around carefully.

She took a cautious step back. "No, he's not. We were supposed to go on a date today, but as we were having breakfast he decided we weren't ready for a date. So I left him at the diner, what does it matter to you?" she asked sporting her matter-of-fact tone.

Seifer smirked. "Well, why don't I show you a good time since Rocks-is upset you. I can take you to this special place I found the other day and we could hang out," he replied taking another step closer to her. He was a bit disappointed when she shook her head. "Why not? You don't trust me?" he asked with a fake frown. Namine only shook her head again. She started to back up quickly afraid he would kidnap her or something. "Come on! I'm in your art class, you can trust me!" he cried.

"I don't think so. Well, it was nice talking to you, but I think I'm going to go home now," she replied quickly. She turned around to leave, but he grabbed her arm. "Hey, let go!" she cried as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Not until you agree to go on a date with me! I'm better than Roxas, Namine. I can give you more than he ever could!" Seifer swore.

Namine blinked. "You act like I'm going to marry Roxas, but that's funny Red Ranger. Now, please let me go so I can scurry home," she reasoned still trying to pull away. If only she had detachable arms. He was pretty strong for a boy who still liked power rangers. Seifer shook his head and began to drag her away. Namine looked around for help, but it seemed that everyone had gone inside. Perfect. _'The one time they all decide to stay indoors I'm being dragged away by some tight wearing potential rapist!' _she thought. She saw a glimpse of blonde zoom by. She may be angry with him, but she couldn't take any chances. "Roxas!" she screamed as loudly as she could.

Roxas blinked and halted in the middle of the street. He walked in reverse and spotted Naminé as she was being dragged away by Seifer. "Hey! You! Blonde Boy!" he shouted running over to them. _'Why are we all blonde?' _he thought suddenly. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

Namine rejoiced. "Roxas! Help me! He's trying to take me to a secret, secluded place!" she shouted.

"What!" Roxas exclaimed in anger.

Seifer laughed nervously and released Namine. "She's delusional! I wasn't trying to do that. I would never try to take her to a secret, secluded area in the Second District. I was simply trying to help her find you, yeah find you!" Seifer lied as he slowly backed away from the pair. Before Roxas could scream at him the boy took off, fleeing from the scene.

Namine huffed and turned away from Roxas. "Thanks for saving me, Roxas. But I'll be going now. See you at home," she meanly muttered.

"Wait, please," he begged as he walked after her, "Look, I'm really sorry. I was stupid to say that in the restaurant. But I guess you already know that huh?" Namine didn't respond. "Okay...the truth is. Being alone with you made me so nervous, so I just started saying stupid things. But I really like you Namine! So I hope you can forgive me," Roxas sighed.

She smiled. "Is that really true? Because you know it wasn't all Mr. Clean for me either," Naminé replied. Roxas stared at her confusedly. "Never mind, what I mean is. It wasn't all that easy for me either. Because I feel the same way for you and I just wish you'd ask me to be your girl!" she exclaimed with her arms crossed. She turned away from him.

Roxas swallowed hard. Was it just him or did winter suddenly feel like a burning, hot day in summer. He tugged at his collar. "Well...umm...Namine..." he began. He gently put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around giving him an expectant look. He grabbed her hands interlacing his fingers with hers. He didn't know she was bottling up the joy inside of her. "Namine, will you be my girl? I know I'm really late asking but-"

She put her finger on his lips. "Don't ruin the moment," she whined, "And of course I'll be your girl!"

Roxas grinned. It was creepy how much his grin resembled Sora's. She smiled. "What do you say we continue our date?" Roxas asked.

"Okay!" Namine exclaimed. She ran off ahead of him deciding it was the time to let out her joy. Roxas trailed after her, slightly confused, but happy that he had finally asked her the golden question.

* * *

Kairi had run all the way to the park. She was breathless and holding her waist trying to kill the cramps that had attacked her sides. She scanned the area for Sora. Why was she putting so much effort into finding him? If only she could answer that question. She finally spotted the spiky brunette sitting under a tree. She wondered how long he'd been sitting there since it was half past noon now. As she got closer to Sora she noticed he had his head in his hands and his knees up against his chest. _'What's wrong with him?'_ she wondered. Kairi was suddenly nervous. What was she supposed to say? _'Oh, I've been looking for you all morning because I'm a stalker!'_

She sighed. _'Here goes nothing,' _she thought bravely. She was standing only two feet away, and it seemed he hadn't noticed her presence. She sat down on the grass next to him. "Sora?" she asked tapping his shoulder. He looked up and she was shocked at what she saw. Rather than the usual energetic, happy face, she saw a distressed, sad one. "Sora, what's wrong?" Kairi asked. Her worry was noticeable.

He wiped his eyes. "Nothing, Kairi," he replied. For some reason she felt hurt. There had been countless times in which she said not to call her Kai-Kai, but now that he had said just plain old Kairi. She was confused. "I was just…what're you doing out here? Taking a jog?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I was actually looking for you. When you weren't there this morning I was confused, and so Olette told me you'd come here to watch the sunrise. And that's why...I'm...here. Sora, are you...crying?" she asked, alarmed by his mood.

Sora sniffled. "N-No! I...I...I have allergies, yeah those things," he lied as he looked down at his clown-sized yellow shoes, "Why would I cry anyway? I-I have no reason to c-cry!" Kairi frowned a little. Was it just the manly thing to deny that you are crying when it's obvious you are crying? Before she could dig deeper into her thoughts Sora pulled her into a hug. She blinked; her eyes widened in shock, but for some reason couldn't help but return the favor. She ran her fingers through his hair comforting him as if she was his mother.

After he calmed down a little she pulled away. "Do you mind telling me what that was about?" she asked quietly.

"I just needed to cry, that's all," he quietly answered. He turned away and continued looking at his shoes. Kairi stiffened. She suddenly felt like it was her making him cry. Was it what she told him last night? Or did he remember what had happened when they were younger. "It's just so hard sometimes," he added sadly.

"What's hard?" Kairi asked.

Sora paused. "Loving you," he answered. Kairi took in a sharp breath. "I mean, before I was okay with the fact you didn't care for me like I cared for you. But now after all those things you told me about your past. I don't think you'll ever love me. So part of me wants to just stop chasing you, while the other can't stop," he explained.

She grabbed his shoulders making him turn towards her. His eyes were wide and slightly watery. What was Kairi going to do to him? At this point, shaking the sadness out of him wasn't going to help. She pulled herself closer and kissed him. Sora's wide eyes disappeared and closed. He put his arms around her holding her in place. He didn't want to move and he didn't want her to move. If they could stay like this forever he'd have no complaints. She soon ended the kiss and rested her head on his chest. He still had no complaints.

"I'm sorry. I know you're all excited and ready for a relationship, but I just don't think I'm ready for one yet," Kairi explained as she listened to his slow breathing. It was steady like how an ocean liner sails across the sea. She felt him sigh. "I'm really sorry," she gravely apologized.

Sora smiled weakly. "You don't need to apologize, I understand," he replied. Now he had complaints.

She felt so guilty, so dirty. Did she love Sora or did she just see him as a friend? She didn't know what her feelings were. The fact was she had never had feelings like this. She had never had a crush. This was just something she wasn't used to. Kairi stood up and left Sora's grasp. She could almost feel the sadness radiating from him. "Come on, let's go home," she said offering to help him up.

"Thanks," he grunted as he was pulled up. He grinned at her. "Sorry you had to see that Kai-Kai, but what do you say we keep that to ourselves, okay?"

She hesitantly nodded. "I'll race you back to the mansion! 1-2-3, go!" she shouted before taking off.

"No fair!" he exclaimed running after her.

* * *

Garnet sat in Yuna's living room flipping through the channels on her plasma screen. There was nothing to watch. Not that she was paying much attention to the television. She was more concerned with Zidane. The look he had given her was that of shock and joy. In a way, Garnet felt like she should've stayed and talked to Zidane. It appeared that Yuna hadn't even needed her. An idea came to mind. She sighed and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

_'I should call Selphie,'_ she thought. A chance for her to see Tidus just came to mind. She walked into Yuna's kitchen and pulled out the phonebook from a drawer. She quickly flipped through the pages coming to the T-section. She scrolled down through the numbers and found Tillmit. She dialed the number in her phone and waited for her to pick up.

_'Hello?'_

"Selphie?"

_'Yeah, is this Garnet?'_

"Yep, and I have a way you can see Tidus tonight."

'_Really?'_

* * *

_A/N: Wow, it ended with Selphie and Garnet again. Isn't that fun? Well it looks like Namine and Roxas finally hooked up. Three cheers for them! Unfortunately, Sora and Kairi have not followed their example. For some reason I think this has disappointed many of you. They'll get together eventually I promise. After all this fanfiction is centered on them. Well thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review!_


	40. And then there was You

_A/N: Hello. It's been a while. It appears that my last update was in January. Those were some tough times. The other months were also very hectic. I come back as a changed woman. Of course, changed would not be the usual word I would use. Anyway, I bring you chapter thirty-nine of I thought I was Alone. I've gotten so many reviews even through my absence. I'm happy to know that people still read! Thank you for staying loyal. You guys are great._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Nine: And Then There was You

It was three days prior to Christmas. Riku preferred to call it Dooms Day.

Kairi stumbled onto the porch almost losing her balance due to her exhaustion. She had fully run from the park all the way back to their mansion on the hill, in winter clothing. Sora staggered slowly behind her feeling too lethargic to continue. "Kai-Kai, go on without me," he breathed deeply trying to gather sweet oxygen. Sora got on all fours and crawled up to porch bumping into Kairi's ankle. She shook her head in disappointment. Lack of gym had really gotten him out of shape. She blamed the pork chop.

"Get in here, you lazy bum," she laughed as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him inside. Sora breathed in deeply letting the refreshing warm air fill his body. Kairi rolled her eyes and pushed the door close. "Do you need help getting your coat off too?" she teased while removing her own.

Sora batted his eyelashes. "Please, Kai-Kai!" he asked sweetly.

She sighed. "You can't possibly be that tired after that. It wasn't that long a run!" she grumbled as she unzipped his coat. The zipper became caught on something she couldn't see. "It's stuck," she muttered trying to get it to go farther down. Sora's almost sly smile caught her attention. Her cheeks began to grow red. The way he was staring at her was making her feel light-headed, in a good way. "Sora…why are you looking at me like that?" she asked obliviously.

Sora shrugged. "Cause' you look awfully pretty when you're disappointed in me," he said with a grin. Kairi rolled her eyes. The moment was ruined. "Well, since the zipper is stuck I'll just do this." Sora attempted to pull the jacket over his head. He pulled his arms out and happily smiled in triumph.

"Um…Sora the coat is still around your neck," Kairi pointed out ruining his moment of success.

"…I knew that," he muttered lifting it over his head. He hung it on the coat rack and then followed after Kairi. She was on her way to the kitchen to make up for the breakfast she had lost going to find Sora.

* * *

Naminé and Roxas walked hand in hand through the second district. Since they would be continuing their date they were in search of something fun to do. Roxas hadn't really planned out where he wanted to take Naminé on their date when he had asked that morning. Nor had he expected to be with her after such a rocky morning. Who knew that was the push he needed to ask her to be his girl. Now, he couldn't be happier or colder. "Hey, want to go into that toy store? I bet they have a heater," Roxas suggested pointing to the sign above the shop's door that read 'Traverse Toys'.

"Sure, while we're in there I think I'll pick up a present for Sora," Naminé thought out loud. Roxas pulled open the door and let her enter first. He had never been happier to smell glue and plastic. It appeared this shop had a wrapping service. That'd come in handy if she was planning on purchasing some gifts here. Roxas suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. He still hadn't gotten Naminé anything for Christmas, and there were only three days left.

'_What is she going to think of me when she wakes up Christmas Day and sees that her boyfriend didn't even bother getting her something?' _Roxas thought as he tugged on his hair. "Hey, Naminé um…I'll be right back!" he exclaimed before he ran out of the store and accidentally slipped on a patch of icy cobblestone.

She stifled her laughter. "Um, you didn't go very far," she snorted quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment. Roxas only nervously laughed and took off. She shrugged; slightly relieved he hadn't heard her pig-like noise. "Now that he's gone I can buy his present too," she said with a smile.

Roxas desperately looked for an appealing sign. He needed a shop with a great gift for Naminé. He couldn't disappoint her, so he wanted something as close as can be to perfect. He stepped into the warmth of an antique store, because he would not be able to bear standing out in the cold much longer. "Hello," the store clerk greeted him cheerfully. Roxas stared at the man curiously. There was an elf hat on his head. _'I guess Kairi isn't the only one who goes all out for Christmas,' _he thought.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to sell anything a blonde, cleaning freak girlfriend would like?" Roxas inquired as he inched closer to the counter.

The store clerk pondered on the question a bit. "Well, I happen to sell rubber duckies, and a rubber ducky is an icon of bathroom cleanliness," he answered with another jolly smile. Roxas scratched his head. He wasn't sure Naminé would want a rubber ducky for Christmas. He remembered her telling him that rubber was a good attracter of dust. "Not what you're looking for? Well I have many other bobbles you might be interested in," the clerk continued. The clerk grabbed Roxas's arm and dragged him to the back of the shop where Roxas was met by the most beautiful collection of snow globes.

"Whoa! This is great! I know Naminé would like one of these!" Roxas exclaimed amazed by all of the snow globes. They were extremely clean and shiny. There was no way she could reject his gift if it was one of these. "I'll take that one," he said pointing to the one center front. It was a medium-sized glass wonderland inside. It featured a snowy town and a couple of carolers standing in the center. Roxas smiled at his achievement. Now, all he had to do was purchase the gift and run back to Traverse Toys to pick up Naminé. They could stop by the mansion and drop off the gifts and then continue their date. It was the perfect plan.

He dropped his munny on the counter and took his wrapped gift and ran out of the store screaming his thanks to the clerk. Roxas skidded down the stone stairs and nearly slipped turning towards the direction the shop was. He eagerly ran across the cobblestone feeling free. Relief had amazing effects on him. He slowly ran up the other pair of stairs not wanting to fall forward and break her snow globe. He reached the top and saw a giddy Naminé standing in front of him. "There you are! Come on, let's go drop these off," she said grabbing his free hand and pulling him towards the first district doors.

* * *

Zidane smiled happily as he watched Selphie zoom through her Algebra work. Though he was supposed to be tutoring her all he could think about was Garnet, and how she knew of his existence. Now, he knew that all those times he had tried to talk to her or even approach her she had purposefully avoided him. He also knew where the blame for this lied. It was Yuna's fault he didn't have a girlfriend right now. He wasn't worried though, because he had a foolproof plan to free Garnet from her suppressors.

"Zidane! You're supposed to be helping me!" Selphie whined childishly. She continued to whine until she woke Zidane from his Garnet daze.

"Sorry, I'm just a little distracted," he replied happily.

"Yeah, I noticed! Come on, Zidane! I gotta learn this so my mom will let me go see Tidus!" Selphie pleaded. She grabbed Zidane's arm and began shaking it. "Please help me! I have to see him!" she nearly screamed.

"All right, all right! Geez, you don't have to shake me, I get it. Now let me see what you've done so far," Zidane said taking the paper she had been working on from her. Selphie bit down on her bottom lip nervously hoping for good results. The faces Zidane made when he graded were neutral, so she could never tell if she did bad or good. After a few minutes of intently looking over the paper he returned it.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

Zidane smirked. "I think you've got it down. You didn't get a single problem wrong," he replied contently.

Selphie screamed joyously and leapt from her chair. She began to dance around her room ecstatically. "I get to see Tidus tonight!" she shrieked. Zidane shrank in his chair. He knew she was naturally happy, but to see her this happy was a bit scary. Especially since she hadn't been really happy in a while. Nevertheless, he was proud of her.

"Good job, Selphie! Well…I'm going to go home now and daydream some more, okay?" Zidane said rising to his feet. He slowly began gathering up his text books still holding the image of her flawless face in his mind.

Selphie giggled. "No you aren't! You're going to help me find something to wear, monkey boy!" she shouted with a yank of his tail. Zidane yelped as he was unwillingly dragged to her closet to be subjected to hours of outfit torture. He groaned.

* * *

Olette had called Hayner over so that they could hang out. She hadn't seen him in a while. After she had confessed to him about Fuu and Rai he hadn't really come around. So, she thought she'd break the ice today. Olette stared out her bedroom window nervously. What if he had lost interest in her because she was a friend betrayer? She twiddled her thumbs and let her emerald eyes fill with tears. If only she had more of a backbone, and perhaps had taken some karate classes. Maybe then she'd be able to defend herself against the infamous duo.

She didn't want to live a secret life anymore. She was tired of the midnight phone calls that she had to answer on the first ring, or else someone else would wake up and she'd be exposed. Olette was tired of feeling guilty around Sora and Kairi. She didn't want to participate in the ruining of their lives. She didn't want to continue sneaking voice recorders in their rooms and then taking them out in the morning. She was tired of listening to their conversations outside the door. Olette was a tender girl; she wasn't cut out for such work. Yet, because of her tenderness she was easily manipulated and that was her problem.

Being so deep in thought she didn't hear Hayner enter the room. "Yo, Olette," he stated closing the door and slowly approaching her. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and put on her best smile.

"I'm sorry, if I had heard the door bell I would've let you in, myself," Olette explained turning to fully face him. She still hadn't changed from her orange pajamas. She blushed in embarrassment. "And…I would've been dressed properly."

Hayner laughed. "It's not like you have to dress properly around me," he replied coolly.

"Hayner!" Olette cried as her entire face lit up like a Christmas tree. He laughed as he took a seat beside her.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while so I have to tease you a bit. It's how I lighten moods," he explained putting his arm around his girlfriend. She rested her head on his shoulder slightly calming down. "So what do you want to do? I can take you out, or we could stay in here, or we could—are you crying?" Hayner asked.

Olette sniffled. "No, I just have allergies this time of year," she lied. Hayner grabbed her shoulders forcing her to look at him. "I swear, allergies!" she squeaked.

"Whatever, you said you didn't have any allergies. What's wrong? Hm? Are Fuu and Rai still bothering you?" Hayner demanded.

"They never stopped," Olette quietly replied. Hayner frowned. "And they had me do something horrible. And now I can barely look at Kairi or Sora," she continued. Hayner had loosened his grip on her shoulders so she took the opportunity to turn away from him. She pushed back some of her brown tress behind her ear. "I don't know what Yuna plans on doing, but she's got me sneaking around and practically acting as some sort of stalker. Then, I have to report all my information back to Fuu on the phone or else."

"Or else what?"

"I'm too scared to find out. I just know it'll affect someone around me though. I don't want anyone getting hurt!" Olette exclaimed before resting her head on the wall. "I don't know what to do. If I don't tell them my friends will be harmed, but if I keep continuing this charade my friends will be hurt still," Olette sighed. Hayner scratched his head. He was never one to be able to give good advice; especially when the situation was so twisted and complicated.

He gave her a small smile. "Well, I'm no good at giving advice, but I think you should just do what you think is best. In your situation I think that's all you can do," he replied. Olette remained silent while drawing circles on the wall with her index finger. Without notice, Hayner wrapped his arms around her waist and lightly laid his head on her shoulder. "You're a smart girl, Olette. You'll know what to do," he whispered.

"I hope so," was all she could manage to say.

* * *

"Sora?" Kairi whispered poking her head into his doorway. After eating lunch the brunette boy had decided to take a small nap since he had barely gotten any sleep last night. Before he had gone into his sleeping chamber he told Kairi to wake him up at seven so that he could make dinner. Naturally, the boy wouldn't be able to get himself out of bed. Sora loved his sleep. "Sora? Wake up," she whispered again as she quietly entered his room.

She closed the door and was standing in pure darkness. Kairi began searching the wall for the light switch, but as far as she reached she couldn't seem to locate the switch. She sighed. _'I don't feel like opening the door again, because there would just be someone in the hallway. Then, horrible things would be spoken of again. I think I'll just try to make my way over to his bedside and shake him a little,' _she thought. Kairi cautiously made her way to where she thought his bed was. Darkness tampered with her sense of direction. She felt the wood of his bed frame against her legs, and knew she was standing in front of his bed, but where? She began searching his bed trying to find any trace of Sora. She felt a limb of his body, but couldn't tell if it was his arm or leg. She began feeling the appendage to distinguish which part of Sora it was. Rather than finding success, she ended up being yanked downward tasting the cotton of his bed sheets.

Kairi looked up and made out Sora's face. Her eyes were now just adjusting to the darkness. She reached out and ended up poking his nose. Sora groaned and rolled over. "Sora, get up. It's time for you to make dinner, remember?" Kairi asked sitting up. She gently shook him hoping it would wake him. Sora responded by pulling the covers over his head. "Sora," she whined, "get up!"

Sora reached out and grabbed her arm. Kairi stifled a shriek. "I'll get up if you agree to lay down with me for a couple of minutes," he answered groggily. Her cheeks began heating up. Regardless, Kairi laid down beside him and stared up at the ceiling that she could now see. Sora wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her right shoulder. Kairi unconsciously wrapped her own arms around him and held him close to her. She closed her eyes and smiled. She had a warm feeling inside of her that she couldn't explain. It just made her smile. They stayed like that for the next few minutes, neither of them speaking a word.

"I think we should get up now," Sora suggested removing his face from her shirt.

"I don't want too," Kairi mumbled still feeling the strange sensation. Now her common sense had been dulled.

Sora smiled. "But Kairi, I have to go make dinner, remember? The whole reason you came in here was to wake me up," Sora reasoned.

"But I—wait!" she exclaimed quickly releasing her grip on Sora. She sat up quickly and jumped out of his bed. "I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized. Her eyes fell on his, and she became enticed by his gaze. Sora scooted out of his bed and stood in front of her.

He proceeded to straighten out her shirt that had been hanging off her shoulder. "Wouldn't want to go out there and raise suspicion, right?" he chuckled lightly. Kairi stood there, her face completely red. Luckily, the darkness hid her embarrassed expression. He leaned in close so that he was an inch away from her face. "You know, you don't have to be so independent and unwilling. If you want me I'm always here," he whispered with a grin.

"You're so big-headed," Kairi muttered. She tried to frown, but she couldn't. She tried to tear her gaze away from his brilliant cerulean eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. His eyes were so beautiful, so intense she was compelled to shift closer. Sora leaned in and pressed his lips onto hers. But as quickly as it started he pulled away and quickly left the room. Kairi was left to handle her own emotions.

After minutes of standing in the middle of Sora's room staring at the ground in a bittersweet manner, she left. Kairi closed his door behind her and looked down the hallway to see Hayner leave Olette's room. "Hayner!" she called quickly walking towards him.

"Oh, hey Kairi. What's up?" he said turning to face her.

"I haven't seen you around in a while, so I just thought I'd say hi," Kairi answered with a smile, "Well, I got to go do something. See you around." With her last words said she retreated into her room and shut the door behind her.

* * *

Selphie excitedly sat in the snowy bushes waiting for her signal from Garnet. She rubbed her hands together to try and create heat between her palms. When she failed she began to breathe on her hands. The warm sensation brought minimal comfort. She glanced up at the dark sky trying to find something amusing. She decided she'd try and look for some constellations. Selphie smiled. She was far too excited to be able to focus on one thing. In a couple of minutes she was going to be reunited with her boyfriend. It was amazing she had enough self-restraint to not be squealing in joy.

She anxiously waited to see Garnet's ebony head peep out of Tidus's window. It seemed like forever for her. After at least five minutes she resorted to lying on her back staring at the starry sky. Then, she heard a window crack open. Eagerly, she jumped up and peered through the little bush branches to see Garnet searching Yuna's backyard. Selphie stood up and waved to Garnet with a gigantic grin on her face. Garnet nervously waved back and grabbed a long rope from behind her. She lowered it from the second story window so that Selphie could climb up and be reunited with her boyfriend.

The perky brunette quietly approached the rope trying not to crunch the snow. She didn't want Yuna to suddenly look out the window and see her trespassing on her property. Whatever Yuna would dish out to Selphie would be ten times worse for Garnet, who Selphie had just decided was a new best friend. She removed her globes and stuffed them in her back pocket. With both hands she grabbed the rope and began to shimmy up to where Tidus's window was. Luckily, Selphie was good at climbing. She'd been doing it since she was six. Not to mention, to be able to pass gym you had to be able to climb a rope. So this was a piece of cake for her.

Selphie placed her hand on the windowsill and lifted herself inside the room. She (with help from Garnet) pulled the rope back into the window and placed it on the floor. Selphie removed her snowshoes and her winter coat and set them on a pile of newspaper in the corner so she wouldn't get anything wet. She put her scarf and hat inside of her coat. She eagerly turned around and saw the person she had missed the most.

A rush of emotions came crashing into her all at once. She didn't know whether to rejoice, cry, tackle him, or just stand there looking at him dumbfounded like she was at the moment. Before she could pick something to do Tidus grabbed her arm and held her close. "It's nice that the first time I see you in a while you have nothing to say," Tidus laughed as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Hey! It's not my fault! I just thought this moment was more far off than this. I missed you so much, Tidus. But now you're here! And we can be all happy and lovey-dovey again!" Selphie exclaimed while she returned his tight embrace.

He laughed, "After all that time you still haven't changed."

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked curiously.

"Nope, it's a really good thing," he answered happily.

Garnet stood in the corner of the room feeling out of place. "Well, if you two don't mind I'm going to go to my room and sleep. Good night," she said quickly and quietly. She escaped the room before the lovebirds could give their thanks and say goodbye. They shrugged in unison.

Tidus plopped down on his temporary bed. He patted it indicating that Selphie should come sit down next to him. She was happy to oblige. He grinned at her. "So how have you been lately? What all have I missed? Has Roxas killed anyone yet?" Tidus asked; he was full of questions.

"Well, lots of things have been happening. So I guess I'll fill you in! I'll start with how things were when you left. You see—."

* * *

_A/N: Thus, is the end of this chapter. I hope that it was enjoyable to read. This only took me two days to write, and I think it's something to be proud of. Well, I'll end this author's note here. Thanks for sticking with me so far. Hopefully, I'll be able to update sooner. You know the life of a high schooler, it's strange. Well, please review! Though, I know you all do I still like to ask. Thanks again!_


	41. Confessions

_A/N: Hey, readers! I've decided to type up another chapter of this story, because I've hit a bit of a writer's block with 'Anything For You' and I try to balance my updates. Yet, I just can't get the words down so I've put it aside for now. No one will miss it, lol. Well I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I swear we'll get to Christmas one day! I've got big plans for that or those chapters. Well, enjoy! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts and I never will. Which is kinda saddening…_

* * *

Chapter Forty: Confession

Riku stepped through the front door quickly slamming it shut behind him. He stripped his winter coat and accessories and then began to walk towards the kitchen where Sora was cooking. He found the brunette flipping pages through the cookbook that had been bought for him a while ago. Riku soundlessly entered the kitchen and made his way to the refrigerator. He pulled on the handle and the sound of the suction being separated from the cold, white frame nearly spiked the rest of Sora's body hair. "Wha? Oh! Riku! Don't scare me like that," Sora whined frowning at the albino boy.

He paused. His aquamarine eyes stared through Sora as if searching for something. The intense gaze made Sora's back hairs stand on their ends. He gulped down the excessive spit that his saliva glands were producing. Riku turned away and Sora could breathe again. The kitchen fell completely silent. Sora nervously turned back to his cookbook afraid to make a single movement or sound, while Riku continued his soundless rummaging. Eventually he gave up on finding something to munch on in the fridge and turned to the cabinets. The kitchen remained painfully quiet. It was killing Sora.

Sora lifted a page and the sound nearly gave him a heart attack. A simple page flip is usually not a loud sound, but in Sora's over-reactive mind it had sounded as if there was an elephant stampede going on within the room. He grasped his chest and held the shirt that was covering it tightly breathing in deeply as quietly as possible. _'Calm yourself Sora, it's not like Riku's going to lash out at you or somethin',' _Sora thought. Gradually he began to calm down and his heartbeat finally began to slow down to its normal speed.

"Why isn't there anything to snack on in this house?" Riku suddenly shouted. Sora cried out in fear and surprise. Before he could fully respond to Riku's outburst he was gone and Sora was alone in the kitchen once more. His cerulean eyes remained wide and his breathing remained rapid. The only change that existed was the need to use the bathroom.

Olette had plans for Christmas Day. She was to meet Hayner in front of the school steps at noon. He had said he had something to give her. She figured it was a typical Christmas present. The situation worked well for her since she had already bought Hayner something for Christmas. This way she could give it to him herself. She scratched her head as she lazily walked over to the closet in the corner of her room. She pulled open the door and flipped the light switch. Walking inside she approached the shelf that was in the back of her walk in closet. She grabbed the black box from the shelf and set it on the floor sitting in front of it.

She shook her head letting her brown locks fall neatly on her shoulders. Olette gingerly lifted the lid of the box and set it aside. She pulled a hand-woven trinket out and laid it neatly in her lap. It was made from green yarn that had been wrapped about a star carved from wood. Olette thought that Hayner might like it since it was his favorite color. She figured he could put it on his keys or something like that.

After admiring it for a few moments she carefully tucked it back inside the black box and put the lid back on. Olette placed it back on the shelf and left her closet closing the door behind her. She leaned back on the door and stared up towards the ceiling, her hand still on the doorknob. Brown tress covered her forehead and blocked the enticing effects of her emerald eyes. _'Why do I have to deal with this? I've never done anything mean to anyone. Why couldn't someone more able to handle this situation been stuck with it instead of me?' _she thought sadly.

A sigh escaped her pink lips and her gaze quickly fell to the floor. "Mom, where are you when I need you?" she thought aloud.

_"Mommy!" a small brown-haired girl cried. She ran to a tall woman dressed in a lilac summer dress and hugged her leg. "Those other kids were being mean to me!" the small child cried; her tears wetting her mother's leg. The brunette woman bent down and rubbed her daughter's head comfortingly, slightly messing up the twin ponytails she had fixed earlier. She then pulled her daughter into a weak, loving hug._

_She smiled softly. "Don't cry, Olette. You shouldn't let those other kids steal your joy, because they are just jealous. They wish they could be as happy and as cute as you are," she whispered into Olette's ear. _

_Olette pulled away from her mother and looked into her emerald eyes. She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Really?" she asked. _

"_Oh, of course, darling. So don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you cry. Don't let them win," she advised as she picked away the thorn berries that had attached themselves to Olette's orange jumper. _

_She smiled at her mother admiringly. "Okay, mommy I won't let them steal my joy," she repeated happily. She grinned at her mother wishing she could someday be as wise and as beautiful as she. Her mother's pale skin gleamed in the sun while Olette's tan only appeared darker. "You should go sit down before you get sick again…"_

Olette sighed, "You were also a sweet woman, mother. Why did you have to develop cancer?"

After dropping off their gifts at the house, Naminé and Roxas had gone back to the Second District to sit on the benches and simply talk. This was mainly because the two wanted to be alone and not in a house full of loud teenagers. Not to mention, Riku was home and his mood had spread like a disease throughout the house. With their hands intertwined the couple sat on an oak bench staring up at the pretty night sky.

"As interesting as the sky is, didn't we come here to talk? So far all we've been doing is silently admiring the night sky," Naminé pointed out.

Roxas scratched the back of his neck in a nervous manner. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just really in the moment," he muttered looking in the opposite direction of Naminé. She laughed. "Hey! What's so funny?" Roxas asked.

"You're just acting so nervous. As if we haven't been alone together before," she replied stifling her laughter. "But no worries, right? I mean, I'm enjoying being with you."

His face turned red. He looked over at her. "Well, thanks. You've just made me feel even more embarrassed," he laughed trying to laugh away all of the nervous and anxious emotions he was feeling. "So…what's your story anyway?" he randomly asked.

Naminé raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean what's my story?" she asked curiously.

"Like, what happened to you? How'd you end up in an orphanage and stuff?" he asked clarifying what information he wanted to know.

The honey blonde paused for a moment. "I really don't know. My biological parents dropped me off on a doorstep when I was just a newborn. So I don't really know what happened there. As soon as I was old enough to be admitted into an orphanage I was. The government gave temporary custody to the family my parents had chosen to leave me at," she explained. "I never knew my mother or my father, so your question is kind of hard to answer."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Roxas apologized, his eyes falling to his lap, "I didn't mean to bring up old wounds."

Naminé smiled at him and tightened her grip on his hand. "It's fine, Roxas. It doesn't really bother me anymore. And I have no desire to meet those people who left me on the doorstep either. They obviously wanted nothing to do with my life so why should I care about what's going on in theirs?" Naminé explained proudly. Roxas looked at her with surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected such an out of character answer from her. She giggled, "I know it sounds bad, but that's just how I feel. Well, your turn. What's your story?"

Roxas took in a deep breath. "Well, I was a preacher's son. My mother and father were both extremely religious people. So religious, in fact, that they would cram the Christianity down my throat. They expected me to follow right in my father's footsteps without even considering what I wanted in life. So, I was always fighting with my parents when I was younger and they were around. You see my parents would never be home when I returned from school. They usually showed up an hour later ready to cook dinner and have our daily family discussion at the table about our days'. Well, one day they didn't come home. The next thing I knew my parents had died in a car accident and I was an orphan," he replied.

Naminé frowned. "I'm so sorry. That must've been hard on you. I can see why you act out sometimes," she answered as she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged. "I guess. I've come to terms with it, though. There's nothing that I can do to bring them back so there's no point in moping over their absences. Besides, if they hadn't passed away I would've never met you or anyone in our dysfunctional family," he stated.

She laughed. "I don't think we're that dysfunctional. But yeah, you have a point. Either way I'm glad to have met you," Naminé confessed. She scooted closer to him and leaned in so that her face was merely a few inches away from his. Roxas turned to fully face her and found his hands becoming extremely sweaty. His stomach began doing gymnastics. His cheeks grew red, and not because it was cold outside. His whole body had been warmed from the inside out. Unconsciously, he placed his hand on hers. He began to move in closer. Just when their faces were a mere inch apart giggling came out from above them.

The couple's heads quickly looked up and saw Yuffie and Rikku hanging over the edge of the stone railing smiling down at them. "Yuffie! Rikku!" Naminé cried in shock. Her entire face turned a dark shade of crimson.

"Just in case you're wondering, we saw it all," Rikku chirped.

"Yeah, that includes the way Namie-chan totally came onto you Roxie-kun," Yuffie stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Naminé bit down on her bottom lip trying to resist the urge of screaming out in embarrassment.

"So what brings you here, this night?" Roxas asked trying to change the subject. He was feeling awkward as well.

Yuffie and Rikku grinned in unison. "We're just skipping around town trying to spread some Christmas _love_," they both answered slyly. Rikku leaned down further her big grin still pasted on her face.

"And it looks like you're in need of some love!" Rikku cried gleefully. Yuffie lowered herself so that she was directly in between the couple. In her right hand was the infamous mistletoe. Naminé yelped in surprise. There was really no avoiding a kiss now. The honey blonde was a strong believer in the power of the mistletoe. One couldn't guess that just by looking at her though.

Before she could verbally respond to Yuffie and Rikku's conniving actions she felt the softest, tingliest sensation on her lips. Without further thought her eyes closed forcefully due to instinct. She felt the butterflies dancing in the bowels of her very soul while her mind had been ignited into flames and was slowly burning to death. All common sense and rationality had just been blown through the roof. The smoothness of Roxas's lips had brought her to stall. All else had melted away into nothingness. The only thought in her mind was of Roxas. He was the boy who had taken her first kiss.

"Wow, so all that has happened while I was gone away?" Tidus asked in shock. He hadn't realized his leaving had caused so many problems. As well as the fact that the dysfunctional family he had left had somehow came together, oddly enough. "And you're absolutely sure the only one Roxas has pounded on was Seifer?" Tidus asked in disbelief.

Selphie giggled, "Yes, he's the only one. And that's because of Naminé. He doesn't like Seifer flirting or hitting on her."

Tidus scratched his head. So his friends hadn't gone completely crazy in his absence, which was good to hear. "Well, it's good to hear that things are moderately okay," Tidus replied laying back on his temporary bed. He rather enjoyed thinking of it as temporary. There was no way he would be able to continue living with Yuna for much longer. She was so impulsive that it was annoying. "Well, I expect you to report back to the gang for me, okay?"

She nodded. "I'll give them your regards," she said with a sad smile. Though they had had hours together Selphie still didn't feel like that was enough for her. She hadn't seen Tidus in so long and now their meeting was over.

He quickly caught onto her hesitation. "Selphie, it's only for a few days. Can you hold on for just a few more days? They'll pass by quicker than you know," he said sitting up and pulling her into a tight hug. Truth be told he didn't want her to leave either, but it was dangerous for Selphie to stay here any longer. He was surprised Yuna hadn't come in and checked on him at all during the night. He can imagine she slept better in her own bed.

Selphie nodded. "I know, I just miss you so much," she said, the grip she had on Tidus was unrelenting. "I'm so glad I got to see you, please thank Garnet for me a thousand times," she mumbled fighting off the urge to shed a few, small tears.

Reluctantly, the couple managed to pull themselves away from each other. "See you later, Selphie," he said staring directly into her eyes. Selphie sniffled a little. She didn't want to get up. "Come on, I'll walk you to the window," he said offering his hand. She gladly accepted.

A few minutes later she was re-dressed in her outerwear and ready to climb down the rope again. She turned to Tidus with one leg out the window. "See you later," she choked out. He was compelled to give her another tight hug before she slipped out the window and shimmied back down the rope. He watched her leave with a sad expression on his face.

"I'll see you soon."

"Dinner's ready!" Sora shouted up the staircase. He felt the need to even though only Riku, Kairi, Olette and himself were home. They were usually the few that came down to dinner on instinct rather than having to be told like Naminé and Roxas. Then again, it could be because those two were usually off doing their own thing. Olette was always caged in her room like a canary, Riku had an internal clock, and Kairi was mainly in her own world. They would come down when they wanted too. Sora walked back into the kitchen and began to fix his plate when he caught a flash of red enter the room. Kairi.

He remembered his bedroom and what he had done to her there. Remorse hit him like a pile of bricks being thrown from the top of the empire state building. He turned to face her and found her looking strangely happy. He once again found himself swallowing excessive amounts of spit down his throat. "Kai-Kai?" he called shyly.

She smiled at him and he nearly died. "What do you say we go eat in your room?" she suggested grabbing a plate from the stack that had been placed on the counter.

He was shocked, absolutely flabbergasted. "O-Okay Kai-Kai," he stuttered walking to the entranceway of the kitchen. He waited for her to fix her plate and then the two ascended the staircases together. Riku watched them go up from the corner of his eye. He cracked a small smile that quickly faded away as he went downstairs to go get his own food. There was nothing for him to be smiling about.

Sora pulled open the door to his room and let Kairi enter first. She plopped down on the floor with her plate in front of her. Sora sat down next to her feeling rigid. Had she secluded them to his room so that she could yell at him in private? He was feeling uneasy. Sora didn't know what to expect. He watched her eat while trying to get down his own food. The nerves were killing his appetite. For once, Kairi actually finished her meal before Sora finished his. She let out a sigh of relief and stretched out her arms. Nervously, Sora began stuffing his face trying to buy himself some time for the beating. He needed mental preparation.

Kairi turned to face him. He nearly choked. She gave him another one of her cute smiles, and he was suddenly put at ease. "I bet you're wondering why I asked to eat up here with you," she started as she ran her hair through her fingers nervously. Sora nodded still trying to swallow down massive amounts of food. He had picked the wrong day to make meatloaf for dinner. "Do you want the completely, honest truth?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded again. "I just wanted to be alone with you…" she mumbled quietly.

Sora swallowed hard. "You wanted to be alone with me?" he choked out unbelievably. That was the last thing he had expected to hear from Kairi. He saw her smile begin to fade. "I'm not complaining or anything, but I just wasn't expecting that after the things that happened earlier today," he quickly explained.

Kairi looked at the floor her cheeks turning pink. "Right…"

Sora felt a sense of uneasiness, but this time it was different. There was a kind of light, fluttery feeling in his stomach and he suddenly felt light-headed. Was this really happening? Did she really want to be with him? He decided to buy himself some time to think. He grabbed his and Kairi's plate and went to place them on his bedside table. He hadn't realized Kairi had gotten up and followed him. Just as he had placed the plates on the table he felt her arms wrap around his waist. Sora's face colored. "Kairi…" he whispered.

She didn't know what she was doing or what she was feeling. She just knew she had to act on the warm, happy feeling she was having right now, here with Sora. He made her feel like she was alive. There was an relentless nervousness and her knees felt like they wouldn't keep her standing much longer, but she wanted nothing more but to be closer to him. Kairi couldn't stand being away. She wished to stay in his arms; she wanted to be in his grasp forever. What was this feeling? "Sora, don't turn away from me," she whispered burying her head in his back.

That was all he needed to hear. Sora turned around and pulled closer. Kairi didn't flinch or protest at all. She practically fell into him. Her grip tightened around him and her face was hiding in his chest. Sora kept his arms firmly around her small frame while his head was tilted downward resting on her shoulder. He inhaled her scent taking in every moment of this rare event. He felt her every curve pressed against his body. He loved this. He wanted more of this. There was nowhere he'd rather be. It was impossible for them to be any closer than they were now.

He felt his shirt began to dampen. Sora partially pulled away still holding her by her waist. He gently rested his forehead on hers staring directly into her eyes. He could see every tear as it slid down her cheeks. He gently wiped them away with the tip of his thumb. "What's wrong, Kai-Kai?" he whispered.

The silent tears continued to fall. "I-I just d-d-don't understand. How could you l-love s-s-someone like m-me?" she stuttered speaking between quiet sobs.

There was no verbal answer in the world that would ever satisfy Kairi, this Sora already knew. So instead he cupped her chin and looked into her eyes. "I love you," he cooed before slowly kissing her. Kairi's choking sobs slowly came to a halt and she was at ease. She lifted her arms from his waist and wrapped them around his neck pulling herself closer. He quickly wrapped his arms around her tighter and eliminated any gaps between them.

Words cannot express the rightness of what she felt with Sora. The usual, empty pain that haunted her being ever since her tragedy was slowly fading away as if she had never been emotionally scarred. She felt as light as a feather. Her hormones and emotions were soaring. The butterfly feeling had quickly spread throughout her body. She felt the tingling sensation everywhere. There was this sense of protection and of real love, which was something she hadn't experienced since the death of her mother. Kairi just craved more and more. Before she knew it the light, unexplainable joy took control of her body and she couldn't stand anymore. Kairi fainted.

Her head fell onto his shoulder and she felt limp in his arms. Sora stood motionless, still clinging to her figure. He would never forget what happened today, never. He smiled down at the auburn beauty. "I guess you took a step you weren't ready for, but at least you were willing," he whispered. He lifted her from the ground cradling her figure in his arms. He gently placed her onto his bed and pulled the covers over her body. For now, she would rest in his bed while he took the dishes downstairs to later be cleaned by Naminé and Roxas.

"I love you, Kairi," he whispered before kissing her cheek. The tender touch of her skin made his heart leap. He then left the room with plates in hand.

* * *

_A/N: So, the moment you've all been waiting for. Now when I started typing out this chapter I really had nowhere in mind to make Kairi react to Sora like that. I just suddenly start writing and the words came out. That's the most romantic piece of work I have ever written. Well, I hope you liked it. I tried to include Riku and Olette a little more, because I will admit I have neglected them. Though Riku totally has a reason for the neglection and you all see this in the next few chapters. As for Olette, I am guilty as charged. Now, I did throw a little neologism in this chapter so I hope no one minded. Please review! Tell me what you think! I love to hear your opinions whether they are negative or positive. And constructive criticism is always welcome. Thank you for reading!_


	42. The Trumpets Sound

_A/N: What's up? I have this unexplainable need to write. I'm not going to jinx anything though. So I'll just keep writing. I felt like fueling the needs of those who read. Since I ended the last chapter with a Sora and Kairi moment that was quite groundbreaking. Well, I'll see where this chapter takes me. I won't make any promises though. Anyway, on with the chapter right? _

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of Square Enix's creations. _

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Chapter Forty-One: The Trumpets Sound

Riku and Olette silently ate the meatloaf that Sora had made for dinner. Olette never really had a taste for meatloaf so she was choking every piece down. Sora's cooking was good, but it wasn't good enough to make her like meatloaf. It would've been easier to eat if Riku hadn't taken the seat beside her and made the air harder to breathe. The silence he had was chilling. It was hard to focus on anything other than Riku. His presence was killing the joyful mood she was trying to create in her mind. A sense of paranoia suddenly washed over her. Did he know? Is that why he had sat next to her?

Nervously her eyes darted over to the silver haired male. His eyes were staring at the meal he had nearly finished eating. _'Just calm down, Olette. He doesn't know. He doesn't know a thing. How could he know? He's barely been in the house for the past month. No, no he doesn't,'_ she mentally assured herself. Olette took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her mind. Riku coughed. Olette shrieked.

"What's the matter with you?" Riku inquired in a curt manner. Olette stared into his infuriated aquamarine eyes and broke down into tears.

"I'm sorry!" she cried burying her face in her hands.

Riku was taken aback. He hadn't meant to make her cry. Olette had always been a tender heart; he should've known talking to her in that manner would've evoked tears from her. "I didn't mean to be so…mean! Please stop crying, Olette," he begged as he leaned toward her cowered position. He removed her hands from her face and laid them down at her sides. Her eyes were red and the tears refused to stop falling. He panicked. If someone entered the kitchen right now they'd accuse him of being cruel and heartless, which was probably right in this situation.

Without further thought on the manner or the consequences that could occur because of it, he lifted Olette from her chair and slung her over his shoulder. Carefully, but quickly he ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He ran down the hallway missing the confused stare from Sora and bolted into his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Was that Olette hanging over his shoulder?" he asked himself. Sora paused. "Nah."

Inside Riku's room he had her sitting in the corner bawling her eyes out. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed kneeling down in front of her.

"Why're you sorry? You aren't the one who has been selling out Kairi through threats and physical assault!" she cried finally willingly removing her hands from her face. Her eyes showed fierceness, anger, and a slight confusion. The look in her eyes was something Riku had never expected to see from someone so sweet and kind-hearted.

The words that had just come from her lips had astounded him beyond belief. No look that she could create would be able to distract him from that confession. "You've been doing what?" he exclaimed in pure, unfiltered shock.

Olette quickly covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh! I thought you knew so I started crying. But you didn't and now I…I'm so sorry!" she cried the tears continuing to fall from her eyes. "Yuna a-and Fuu a-and R-Rai! They've been making me d-do bad things," Olette choked out. She collapsed into Riku's arms that were strangely open. He kept his arms out and just stared down at the brunette girl that was crying into his shirt.

"Tell me what they've been doing and I will get you out of it," he deadpanned. Olette lifted her head and looked at him as if he was an angel sent down from the heavens to relieve her of this evil. Was it possible that somewhere deep down in his soul that Riku cared? "Well, start explaining or I'll have to assume the worst," Riku commanded.

She wiped her eyes and removed her body from his. "Okay, well, it all started a couple of weeks before Tidus was sent away. Fuu and Rai approached me after school when no one was in the hallway. I had been waiting for Hayner to show up, so that's why I was even there. She cornered me and said that if I didn't help her someone close to me or I would be hurt. I was scared. So I agreed to help her. Ever since then, they've had me spying on Kairi getting her dirty details and reporting them to Yuna so that she can use them against her," she explained.

Riku remained silent. He didn't know how to answer Olette in a gentle, understanding way. He literally wanted to rip her head off. How could she be so stupid? "You need to tell Kairi, soon," Riku finally replied staring down at her. "We need to be able to counter this…"

Knock. Knock.

"Come in!" Baku said looking up to see young Zidane slip inside the door. "Oh, Zidane. What did you want?" he asked.

Zidane strolled closer to his dad. He plopped down in the seat in front of Baku's desk and put his feet up on it. "I've got a question about girls," Zidane announced.

"I already gave you the speech about the birds and bees, what more do you need to know?" Baku replied scratching the back of his neck, "Unless you want some techniques-."

"No!" Zidane shouted nearly falling out his chair. "I didn't come in here for that!" he cried; his whole face was red. "I wanted to ask, hypothetically, what you would do if there was a girl you liked that you just realized knew you existed. But she couldn't talk to you no matter how much she wanted to because she had to listen to her evil, dictator friend?" Zidane asked.

Baku blinked. "Are we talking about Garnet?"

Zidane sighed, "You see through me so easily."

"Or, perhaps it's because she's the only girl you've been interested in for years," Baku laughed. Zidane shrunk. "But you should kidnap her. Then you two could have some alone time," he laughed some more.

"Kidnap her?"

Naminé and Roxas had returned home and ate the meatloaf Sora made for dinner. Things had been a little quiet between them after their kiss in the Second District. Roxas was feeling a little guilty that he took advantage of the moment without looking to see if Naminé had been okay with it. She, on the other hand, felt too alive to say anything. Every time she looked at him she felt the tingling sensation on her lips, and felt the need to do it all over again. She now understood why people liked kisses so much. Before then, she had always thought the exchange of saliva between two people was a heinous and germy act. She hated germs.

As they were washing the dishes she stole glances at him in three-second increments. She would always look away before he could respond and turn a light shade of pink. Roxas felt a little out of place. He was beginning to get worried that she was angry with him. They had never been so silent when they were around each other.

"So…" Roxas started.

She smiled. "Yeah, are you almost done with your half?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah," he murmured looking at the one plate he had left.

"Good cause' I'm done," Naminé said as she began to air dry her hands. She didn't like wiping her hands on towels, because she felt like the germs from someone else's hands were getting on her newly clean ones. Roxas finished his dish and then went to grab the rag. He felt air-drying your hands took too long. He wiped his hands dry and then walked back to where Naminé was flailing her hands about in the air. She was so cute.

She suddenly stopped and turned her head to face him. Her cheeks were an obvious shade of light red. Roxas held his breath. Why was she looking at him like that? Before he had any reaction time Naminé jumped on him and he collided with the kitchen counter. She held him tightly rubbing her head into his shirt. Roxas turned red. "N-Naminé?" he stammered nervously.

"Your shirt is warm," she stated with a smile. She pulled away and let out a small sigh. "Well I'm going to sleep now, Roxas. So I'll see you in the morning," she announced happily. Naminé grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him close to her. "Good night," she said happily before kissing him. She giggled, released him, and then ran out of the room rather giddily.

"Wow," was all Roxas could utter. He no longer regretted kissing her.

The lights were off in Sora's room and Kairi was still lying in his bed. He kneeled beside her on the ground resting his head on the side of the bed. He wondered when she would wake up and when he'd get to see her stunning amethyst eyes again. "Kairi, what are you dreaming about?" he thought aloud. He wished she would hurry and wake up so they could talk about what had just happened. He wanted to make her his girlfriend as soon as possible.

He turned around to look at the clock that was on his bedside table. A sigh escaped his lips. It was midnight and she still hadn't wakened from her fainting session. He knew she was still breathing, because he had been checking periodically. Had their moment really put her body through that much shock? Sora could only smile at her. He lifted his hand and began running his fingers through her auburn locks.

_'You're so beautiful lying there. I wish you would wake up soon before I fall asleep,'_ Sora thought. "Kairi, please wake up," he plead quietly.

She groaned. Sora lifted his head and stared at her face. The moonlight hit her features perfectly. Kairi's eyes slowly opened and she saw nothing but darkness. "Where am I?" she yawned looking toward the source of light, the window. She saw the outline of Sora's face and quickly turned crimson. "S-Sora…" she stuttered unable to do anything more.

His smile grew wider. She remembered all that had happened between them. Somewhere in the depths of his mind he had been scared that she might forget. "Did you sleep okay, Kairi?" he asked as he crawled onto his bed. He squeezed around her and then laid out beside her. She rolled over to face him. Now she could see all the love and desire that were in his cerulean eyes. There was a different gleam to them besides the moonlight that was shining on them.

"What happened…you know after we started…kissing? Everything is black after that," she murmured, nervously drawing circles in his sheets with her index finger.

Sora chuckled, "You fainted."

Her eyes widened. "I fainted? Oh, I'm sorry, Sora. How long have I been out?" she asked.

"A couple of hours," he answered nonchalantly.

Kairi smiled nervously. "I'm really sorry about that," she mumbled while trying to avoid eye contact. She was afraid she might find herself in his arms all over again, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"It's fine, just as long as you're all right," he answered genuinely.

She smiled. Her hand began searching through his bed to find his. "What're you doing?" he asked sitting up.

Kairi sat up too now reverting to scanning the surface with her eyes rather than hand. "I wanted to hold your hand," she replied spotting his right hand rested on his lap. She placed her hand on top his and looked up at him with happiness beaming from her face.

Sora grinned cheekily. He removed his hand from under hers and intertwined his fingers with hers. He slowly lifted their hands so that they were in-between them. "Kairi, can you tell me somethin'?" he asked as he stared at her fingernails. They were so smooth.

"Sure," she answered quietly. Her amethyst eyes reverted upward waiting for his question to be asked. Rather than the usual sassiness that usually shined in her eyes, the gaze was softer. Her eyes were like round, shiny pillows of amethyst staring at him in the most alluringly innocent manner. Sora found himself melting inside of them desiring that her gaze only rest on him. If they could stay like this forever Sora's life would be complete.

Regretfully, he detached his eyes from hers and focused on her fingernails. "Why? Before you said that you weren't ready. What made you do this?" he asked.

Kairi smiled weakly. Her gaze falling to the bed sheets below them. "I have this strange feeling when I'm with you. I can't explain it. But I just feel so safe, so free. I just want to feel like that all the time. I want to be with you, Sora. You make me feel so wonderful inside," she answered quietly.

A silence fell over the room. Her throat constricted. Her eyes gradually grew wetter. The hand that was interlaced with Sora's began to slip away from his grasp. "I-I'm sorry. I understand if that offer expired…I just thought that I shou-," she stammered weakly.

The grasp on her hand tightened. Her heart felt as if it were going to explode from this strange phenomenon of unexplainable, impeccable bliss. Her head shot up and she found herself sinking into deep cerulean pools.

_Ba-Bum Ba-Bum Ba-Bum_

Her heartbeat increased rapidly. Her cheeks felt so hot it was as if they were going to burn right off her face. Sora's face was so close to hers, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips. There was so much emotion in just one wordless gaze. The intensity made Kairi feel weak. Her whole body had been lit on fire by goose bumps and tingling feelings. Their surroundings seemed to fade away. It was just them, in a world of their own. She was far away from all the reality that was thrown onto her daily. Her emotional wounds, her mental scars all fluttered away like ripped bits of paper on a windy day. She wanted him more than she had wanted anyone before. Her free hand found its way to his shoulder resting on it like a newly landed feather.

Opportunity was building up inside of him. The words wanted to pour out of his lips. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he only had but so much time. He had months of uplifting words to tell her, years of endearing terms to call her, and a lifetime of 'I love yous' ready to be released. For now, there was just one sentence that needed to be said. The one sentence that would bring him happiness, undeniable happiness.

He pressed his forehead against hers still keeping direct visual contact with her beautiful eyes. "Kairi," he whispered refusing to break the gaze with her.

"Y-Yes," she mumbled in response trying to contain her composure that was slipping away from her.

**"Will you be my girlfriend?"**

The question had been dropped and now the answer was all that was needed to save it from the abyss of rejection. Kairi felt warm tears trailing down her cheeks. For once she was happy to be overwhelmed by her emotions. She began nodding still maintaining her gaze. There was nothing else she wanted to look at. He was the only focus in her teenage world. "Yes, yes I will," she choked out, sniffling as she tried to hold back the tears.

No words could be written that would capture the fullness of Sora's joy. He removed his hand from Kairi's and placed it around her waist pulling her body closer to him. With his free hand his thumb gently wiped the tears from her eyes. Kairi was silenced. His thumb traced the outline of her jaw line. Shivers were sent down her spine.

"Sora…" she whispered longingly.

He smiled at her. "I love you," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed her with a passion that Kairi had never experienced. She wrapped both her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with as much fire (if not more) as it had started with.

Zidane yawned while stretching his arms up to the sky. It was eight in the morning, the day before Christmas Eve. He would be acting more excited and giddy, but Zidane wasn't a morning person. He was only up this early so he could visit his favorite orphans. He tugged at the yellow scarf around his neck. Selphie had knitted it for him for Christmas last year. As useful as it was it was just so itchy it nearly killed him to wear it. It was a suffering he dealt with only for the sake of Selphie's happiness. It was the thought that counts anyway.

He trudged up the walkway, hopping up the front steps, and ringing the doorbell. Zidane never waited for anyone to answer, but he felt it was courteous of him to ring the doorbell anyway. He pushed through the door and began stripping his outer layer off. He pulled off his snow boots and placed them in the corner of the entrance, next to Roxas's.

It was strangely silent in the house this morning. The smell of Sora's freshly cooked breakfast wasn't even present. Zidane scratched his head. "Hm, what's going on?" he thought out loud. He ran to the hallway and up the stairs. No one was on the second floor.

"That's strange." He ran up the second set of stairs and caught a glimpse of Naminé slipping into Sora's room. He raised his left eyebrow. There was definitely something going on in that room. A light bulb suddenly lit up in his mind. Something had happened between Sora and Kairi! He quickly ran to the end of the hall and quietly entered the dark room. Roxas grinned. He put his finger to his lips and Zidane nodded in response.

Selphie was standing near the window with her video camera. She had felt it was too cute not to record. She silently waved to Zidane who had claimed a spot on the wall. He was glad Vivi hadn't tagged along this morning. This sort of thing was too inappropriate for kids his age.

Kairi moaned snuggling closer to the sleeping Sora. Naminé stifled a giggle. This moment was just too great not to watch. It would be even better when they woke up and saw them all in the room. She was slightly afraid that Kairi would attack them. Oh well, she had Roxas to protect her. She glanced at her blonde boy. He was also enjoying the 'festivities'. This was definitely the most interesting thing that had happened all Christmas vacation. Little did she know things were going to heat up in the next few days.

Riku smirked. He was just waiting for the brunette to open an eye or roll over. He couldn't wait to see his flabbergasted expression. There was nothing better. For now, he would just steal glances at Olette while waiting. She was standing next to him looking especially guilty. She tried to keep her head down so she wouldn't have anything to report to Yuna or Fuu and Rai. Now that Riku knew her dirty little secret he wasn't about to let her suffer longer than need be. He would save her somehow.

Sora dug his head deeper into his pillow refusing to wake up. His dreams were filled with replays of last night. He could still feel her lips on his. He could still feel her warm arms around his neck clinging onto him as if he were her life jacket. The grip he had around her waist tightened. In his sleep he could still smell her sweet Kairi-like aroma. Today she didn't smell like sweat. Though, it didn't matter what she smelled like. He'd love her regardless.

Kairi yawned pressing her head against his chest. She proceeded to rub her eyes and try to wake herself up. Usually she wouldn't get up so early, but she knew if she didn't wake up Sora wouldn't and then breakfast wouldn't be made. "Sora-Sora," she groaned, shaking him a little, "Go make breakfast." She yawned again pulling the blanket over her head. Surprisingly, she didn't notice Selphie hovering over her with the video camera. "Wait…Selphie!" she screamed. Spoke too soon.

Sora literally jumped out of the bed and landed on his back. "Ow…" he cried while lying on the wooden floor. Zidane and Roxas peered down at him with big smiles on their faces.

"Hey…so what's up with you and Kairi, eh?" Zidane asked mischievously.

Sora cried out in shock. "What? How long have you guys been in here?" he exclaimed jumping to his feet. He then noticed Olette, Riku, Naminé, and Selphie. "What are you all doing in my room?" He was freaking out, just like Riku had wanted/expected him too. Riku was highly amused.

Kairi crawled out of Sora's bed and rolled onto the floor gracelessly. She stood up her hair in her face. The video camera light had disoriented her. "Selphie!" she screamed turning in the opposite direction that Selphie was standing. She ended up grabbing Sora's lamp, strangling it instead of Selphie. Roxas nearly died of laughter.

"B-But seriously what's g-going on?" Roxas asked through his laughter.

Sora grinned. "Kairi's my girlfriend now," he proudly announced.

The room was silent.

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_A/N: Hey guys! I've got another update for you, yay! I apologize to those whose reviews I did not answer. It's not that I'm ignoring you or anything I've just been busy these past three days and well I just checked my email tonight. So, I'm sorry for the delays. Hopefully, I can jump on the gun (lol) and answer all of your reviews in a timely manner this chapter. Well, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Love, Aerith._


	43. Alas, We are Reunited

_A/N: Wow! I'm so amazed that I have 900+ reviews now. That's so astonishing. When I started writing this I had no idea it'd turn out so well. I'm so happy that I have such dedicated readers. So thanks, once again, for sticking with me. Well enough of this right? The chapter shall begin!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of Square Enix's creations that are mentioned in this story._

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Chapter Forty-Two: Alas, we are Reunited

"KAIRI'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND?"

The uproar from everyone in the room (minus Kairi and Sora, of course) startled the two new lovers. The auburn beauty nervously scratched the back of her neck. She really hadn't expected them to act so shocked. Was it really so unexpected that she end up dating Sora? They had been lovey dovey before in front of the group, but she supposed they thought it would never really happen. She couldn't blame them. Kairi had never thought it would happen either. Now, she was ready to accept love. She couldn't turn back now.

"Is it that shocking?" Kairi asked her eyes glancing over at Sora who was on the other side of the room. She could tell he was feeling as out of place as she was.

Zidane was the first to regain his composure. "No, no not at all. It's just that we expected it to take way longer for you guys to hook up," he explained scratching his imaginary beard. Zidane had no facial hair to speak of. Selphie often made fun of him for it.

"Yeah, but we're happy for you nonetheless," Naminé added with a small smile.

Sora cleared his throat. Everyone's attention turned to him. "Well, if you're so happy for us would you mind getting out of my room, please?" he asked, his cerulean eyes nearly begging for some privacy.

Riku was the first to slither out of the room. Olette strangely followed after him rather quick. Roxas and Naminé left the room to go do something in Roxas's room. The something they were doing was more innocent than dirty. Selphie turned off her video camera and happily skipped out the room threatening to eat her hand if breakfast wasn't ready soon. Zidane followed her after winking at Sora. He was happy for his friend. He closed the door behind him and silence fell over the room.

Sora and Kairi stared at each other from across the room. Sora grinned. "Kai-Kai…good morning," he said cheerily.

She smiled. "Good morning, Sora-Sora," she greeted just as cheerily. She scooted across the bed and threw herself into his arms. Sora had no problem with this action. He rather enjoyed holding her. She rested her head against his chest. "You're warm," she mumbled fighting sleepiness.

Sora blushed. "As long as you're comfortable, Kai-Kai. But you should get some rest since you didn't get your usual amount of sleep. I'll go make breakfast and bring some up for you when I'm done," he said in a matter of fact tone.

She pouted. "Fine," she answered in mid-yawn. She removed herself from his arms and shuffled back over to his bed. Kairi literally fell onto the mattress and quickly found sleep. Sora stifled his laughter as he quietly maneuvered himself out of the room. Once he was out he closed the door behind him.

He sighed happily. Things seemed to be finally looking up.

* * *

Paine and Fuu stood in front of Tidus's bed. Paine snickered. The two girls had orders to wake him up, but they weren't told how to wake him up. Both of them grabbed Tidus's blanket that he was wrapped in and yanked it from the bed. Tidus tumbled to the floor bumping his head on the leg of the bed frame.

"Ow!" he cried rubbing the side of his head. He jerked his head up from the ground and saw Paine and Fuu standing at this side. "What do you want?" he asked. His tone was curt and full of word venom.

Fuu scoffed, "Who are you to talk to us like that?"

"Who are you to expect me to talk to you respectfully?" Tidus spat.

Fuu growled raising her leg to kick him while he was down. Paine outstretched her arm in front of her. "Don't waste your time on him. Besides, Yuna would be highly upset with you if you damaged her dear Tidus. Anyway, Yuna wants you downstairs for breakfast in ten minutes or else," Paine instructed. She grabbed Fuu by the arm and dragged her out of the room. The door slammed behind them.

He jumped to his feet and in anger kicked the side of his bed. "Ow!" he cried. He quickly nursed his foot hopping up and down on the other. "Why do I have to be subjected to this torture!" he exclaimed limping over to the drawer in the corner. Despite his distaste for Yuna he wasn't going to act un-gentlemanly in front of her. He would be dressed for breakfast. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a random t-shirt from the drawer. He quickly changed and dashed out of his room. Tardiness was not in Yuna's vocabulary. He had a feeling he wouldn't be the only one to suffer if he were late, and he didn't want to cause anyone else trouble.

He slid down the railing on the stairs and rushed into the kitchen. His thoughts were correct; Garnet was already seated at the table next to Yuna. The little devil was eyeing him and watching his every move. "Good morning, darling," she greeted him in a faked sweet voice.

"Mornin'," Tidus muttered sitting in the seat across from Garnet. Yuna was at the head of the table so he figured this would be a safe place to eat his breakfast. Just as he sat down a maid sat his plate on the table and then scurried away as quickly as she appeared. He eyed the plate. This morning's meal would be scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, a piece of toast, and two waffles. How he missed Sora's cooking. "This looks great," he choked out trying to say some kind words.

Garnet smiled nervously. "It tastes wonderful. Yuna made it herself," she mumbled before stuffing her mouth with eggs. She really didn't want to be part of this conversation. Yet, Yuna had dragged her out of her bed at six in the morning to have her make breakfast. Yuna wasn't much of a cook, but she wanted Tidus to think she was.

Yuna grinned as she watched Tidus gobble down his food. She thought he might be gobbling it down quickly, because it tasted good. The truth was he wanted to leave the table quickly. Even if leaving the table quickly meant getting indigestion. "What do you think?" she asked resting her head in her hands as she watched him eat.

"It's good," he answered with his mouth full. Tidus was trying to cram a piece of bacon in his mouth while still chewing the last bit of toast. Garnet watched fearfully praying that he wouldn't end up choking.

Yuna simply laughed at his antics. "What's the rush? Unless you're just excited to spend the entire day with me!" she exclaimed happily. Was he finally coming around? "Have you finally realized that Selphie Tillmit is inadequate compared to me? She isn't as beautiful as I am. I have so much more to offer you," she laughed.

Tidus growled. "How can you talk about Selphie like that? She's way more beautiful, sweeter, and better than you are! You have to kidnap me and threaten me to keep me here when I would willingly stay with Selphie," he hissed.

Yuna frowned. She stood up from her chair pushing it back. She slammed her hands on the table evoking a small yelp from Garnet. "How dare you talk to me like that?" she shouted, "you still don't understand the power I hold do you? I can have you shipped off to some deserted island if I wanted too."

He jumped to his feet as well. "See, this is why I don't and will never like you. You are so manipulative! I don't see how Fuu, Paine, or Garnet can stand being friends with you? Do you threaten them too?" he shouted back.

Garnet was the last to stand from her seat. Her brown eyes stared at her empty plate. "Yuna does threaten me and she is very mean to me. Selphie is so sweet, why do you have such a problem with her, Yuna? You've always been so mean to her…and you've always been to so mean to…Zidane," she stated quietly.

"Again with that monkey boy! I told you he's a loser, a nobody just like Selphie! Do you want to be one of them?" Yuna screamed.

"What's wrong with us? Huh? I think it's your group that has the problem. You guys are the losers!" Tidus shouted, "Come on, Garnet we're out of here." He walked over to the other side of the table and grabbed her arm. "See ya later, Yuna!"

Yuna screamed in outrage as they walked out the door. "You will pay for this Tidus!" she shouted angrily.

* * *

"So Tidus is back in town then?" Olette asked as she stabbed at the sausage that remained on her plate. She smiled. "That's horrible what Yuna did, but at least he's okay and isn't really in jail," she added.

"I agree with that," Roxas said before he stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth.

Selphie grinned. "I was so happy to be able to see him last night. It was like he never left. But he said he'd be able to leave her place after Christmas. So you guys should like throw a party for him or something," she suggested. She got up from the table and walked over to their kitchen sink.

Riku cleared his throat. Throughout the entire conversation about Tidus and his return he had been silent. So now that he had called everyone's attention with an actual noise they all stared at him strangely. "I still don't see why he has to stay with Yuna. He could simply get up and leave," he commented, "like I am, right now. Don't wait up." He dismissed himself from the table and left the kitchen. A few minutes later the group heard the front door slam.

"He's going to end up breaking a door if he keeps slamming them all," Naminé huffed.

"Then we'll just clean it and fix it Nam," Roxas replied still chewing on the full piece of toast he had managed to stuff into his mouth. A silence fell over the kitchen. Selphie was leaning on the kitchen counter staring up at the ceiling. Roxas, Naminé, Olette, and Zidane were all seated at the kitchen table quietly eating their breakfast. There was one topic in their minds. Sora and Kairi.

"So what do you think they're doing up there?" Zidane finally asked, "I know that's what you guys are all thinking about! I mean how could you not?"

"Guilty as charged!" Selphie chirped happily bouncing over to sit down at the table again. She leaned on the wood and stared at Olette, Naminé, and Roxas with curious eyes. "Do they usually do this sort of thing?" she asked. She figured they would know more than she and Zidane since they actually lived here.

Olette looked down at the sausage. "Lately, they've been spending lots of time together. So I guess it's a usual thing," she mumbled, "I think I'll be excused now." She quietly excused herself from the table, and then soon left the room.

"She worries me," Naminé stated once Olette was gone, "I know she's always been quiet and everything. But ever since Tidus has been gone she's seemed to avoid all of us all together."

Roxas nodded. "I haven't even managed to knock her down the stairs while riding my skateboard in doors!" he exclaimed.

Zidane frowned. "Maybe she's just feeling a little blue. What type of things usually cheer her up?" he asked. Perhaps they could surprise her with buying her a great Christmas gift. There was no way someone could be sad on Christmas. The blondes shrugged in response. They really didn't know much about Olette even though they all lived under the same roof. "Well you guys are a great help!" Zidane threw up his arms in defeat.

"I sometimes hear her reciting poetry in the middle of the night."

Their heads jerked up. Kairi was standing in the doorway with a happy Sora standing behind her. She placed their plates in the sink and took a seat next to Roxas. "If you're trying to buy Olette something for Christmas I'd say buy her a poem book or something," she suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," Roxas muttered, "let's get her that!"

Kairi tapped her chin. "I bet they're having some major Christmas sales today so we should hurry before the crowd shows up at the stores."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to be attacked by angry, late Christmas shoppers," Naminé added.

"I still haven't finished my Christmas shopping," Zidane laughed nervously. He tugged the collar of his shirt.

"Well then, let's go shopping! Ew, I can't believe I just said that," Roxas exclaimed. He scrunched up his face in disgust. The boy wasn't much for shopping outside of buying new boards or things for his guitar.

"Okay! Meet back down at the front door in ten!" Naminé exclaimed before running out of the kitchen. She was really excited. Though she had finished all of her Christmas shopping she still enjoyed the idea of shopping. Underneath of the Mr. Clean exterior, she was a true teenage girl at heart. Which surprised many.

* * *

Vivi ran back and forth through the hallway. "Baku! Baku! Baku!" he shrieked holding his hat to make sure it didn't fall off of his head. Blank peered out of his bedroom door and saw his little brother running through their messy hallway like some sort of crazed maniac.

"Viv-Vivi!" he shouted. The boy ignored him and continued running around and screaming for Baku. Growing sick of the noise Blank stuck out his foot from the door and tripped Vivi. The poor kid screamed in peril as he went flying through the air and into a pile of dirty laundry. "Oops," Blank uttered unapologetically.

Vivi cried out in pain. His head had hit the laundry basket that had been hidden under the pile of clothes. "Blank you're so mean," he mumbled his voice muffled from the dirty clothing. He stood up and leaned on the wall.

"Now what are you screaming about?" Blank asked.

Vivi paused. "I forgot to send my Christmas list to Santa," he answered quietly. He pulled the list out from his pocket and waved it in the air. Blank sighed.

"How old are you Vivi?" Blank asked.

"I'm nine years old going on ten, what does that have to do with anything?" Vivi asked innocently.

"It's time you know the truth about Santa."

* * *

Demyx was sprawled out on the honey-colored couch in Axel's humble abode. The redhead's parents had decided to leave town for the holiday. Since Axel had refused to join them he was stuck at home alone for the season. So now he housed a room of conspirators. The goofy brunette gazed around the pyro's living room. Attached against the wall was a flat-screen television. Underneath the television was a shelf stocked with dozens of DVDs. On the wall to his right were family photos. He thought the pictures of baby Axel were quite amusing. To his left was the doorway to enter Axel's house and a gigantic ceiling lamp in the entrance hallway.

Riku was seated on the lazyboy to the right of Demyx. He was staring at the painted red walls. He thought it made sense for Axel's house to be mostly red. It reflected his personality. Riku did like the floor lamps that were scattered around the rooms. They had an antique look to them. Riku glanced at Lulu who was on the loveseat across from him. She looked bored.

"Sorry for the wait, guys," Axel said announcing his presence in the room. He entered carrying a tray of coffee cups and an orange juice for Demyx. He kicked Demyx's legs out of the way and sat down on his couch placing the tray on the coffee table. "So let our meeting begin," he declared humbly.

Lulu sat up from her lounged position on the loveseat. "Tomorrow's the big day. Is everything in place for our display?" she asked. Her eyes immediately darted to Axel and Demyx.

"Hey, hey little lady. Chill. I've got all the fire power you need in my garage," Axel answered while handing Riku a cup of coffee.

Demyx grinned. "And I've got tons of fire extinguishers and even water balloons!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't think we'll be needing water balloons," Riku scowled before sipping at his coffee. He frowned. He liked having a little more milk in his coffee.

Lulu rolled her eyes. "You can keep the water balloons to yourself. As Riku said we won't be needing those. Anyway. So we're all set then? Now what time are we meeting tomorrow? I was thinking around six in the evening here," Lulu asked.

"I think I can get away at that time," Riku agreed.

"It's fine with me," Demyx chimed. Axel just nodded in response. He was drinking his coffee. He felt the less milk the better tasting the coffee was.

"Great, now give me my coffee," she ordered.

* * *

Tidus and Garnet were shivering as they walked down the streets of the First District. "Maybe before I made us storm out the door we should've grabbed some jackets," he laughed rubbing his arms for warmth. He was wandering the snowy streets in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He was cold in the depths of December. Garnet was at least a little more prepared. She had on an dark green turtleneck with her own pair of jeans.

"Hey let's stop in that café for warmth," she suggested. Tidus nodded. He hoped and prayed that the café had a heater. They ran towards the café ready to get into the warmth of a building.

Once he stepped inside he felt his entire body set aflame. The warmth felt brilliant. He breathed in deeply taking in all the warm air. Garnet giggled. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Your entire nose is bright red," she giggled poking it, "How do you do Rudolph?"

Tidus rolled his eyes playfully. "Enough with the wise cracks Garnet, let's go get a booth and chill for a while," Tidus suggested. The two teens took the booth that was right under the heater. Since they were practically chilled to the bone they didn't mind having a constant motion of hot air being blown on them.

"Are you hungry?" Garnet asked staring at the menu she had gotten from a small rack on the table.

"Oh, that's right you didn't finish eating. And it is practically noon. So I'll buy, Garnet. Order whatever you want," Tidus said pulling out his wallet and placing it on the table. He leaned back in the chair and finally rested. He felt like it was the first time he'd really relaxed in months.

Garnet smiled. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he answered nonchalantly.

The blonde glanced out the window and saw something he hadn't expected to see just yet. Kairi, Sora, Naminé, Roxas, Zidane, and Selphie were trudging by the window dressed in their winter attire. What were they doing out? Tidus didn't really care. Without any further thought, he banged on the window catching Selphie's attention.

"Tidus!" she exclaimed her entire face lighting up.

The group turned and looked into the window to see Tidus and Garnet on the other side. "Tidus!" they all exclaimed in unison. Zidane paused. He now fully realized that it was Garnet that was seated across from Tidus. Garnet was in the café. She was staring dead at him. He could sense her fear.

* * *

_A/N: Thus, this chapter ends! I must say that I have gotten tons of motivation from the reviews I've been receiving. They're kind of a reminder that I actually do write. Lol, no matter how bad that sounds. I haven't been forgetting lately so that's really good. Not that I every necessarily forget. It's just kind of pushing me out of my laziness, if that makes any sense? Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of 'I Thought I was Alone' and will leave a kind, helpful review. I mean, you can leave a mean one too if you want. Whatever works for you!_


	44. Stranger Things Have Happened

_A/N: Okay fellows. Here's the deal. My internet is getting cut Tuesday, because my family and I are moving to another house in the area. It's nothing major. I just won't have the internet for like a week or so. I promise to keep writing, I just won't update until the internet returns to me. So I'll try to get as many chapters in today and tomorrow as possible._

_Disclaimer: You already know what I do not own._

* * *

Chapter Forty-Three: Stranger Things have Happened

"Well, it looks like your friends are here, so maybe I should go," Garnet hurriedly stated. Tidus could tell she was in a panic, and he suspected that was because Zidane was standing outside staring at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Um…thanks for everything," she murmured. She quickly scurried out of the café unaware that Zidane was ready to meet her at the door. She pushed through the glass door and bumped into the monkey-tailed boy. Nervously she raised her head and looked directly into his blue eyes. All words and knowledge suddenly fled her mind.

Zidane swallowed hard. "Um…I'm going to walk Garnet home now, I'll catch up with you guys later," he said putting his hand behind her back and pushing her forward. She had turned on her own. Zidane waved goodbye and they made their way down the snowy sidewalk.

Sora grinned. Kairi giggled. Naminé snorted. Roxas scratched his head in confusion. Selphie had already run into the café and was seated next to Tidus clinging to him. "Well, hopefully things will work out for him," Sora said before walking up to the door and pulling it open. He held it open as the group shuffled inside.

Garnet silently shivered beside Zidane. The two were deathly silent. Zidane was feeling the effects of nausea, embarrassment, and nervousness all at once. He had so much he'd wanted to say to her since the day he bumped into her in that hallway. Now that he actually had an opportunity to have a conversation with her he was dumbstruck. _'Come on, Zidane say something,'_ he thought trying to mentally push the words out of his mouth.

He glanced downward and saw her shivering. He wondered why she hadn't thought to bring a coat. It was basically the end of December; it should be second nature to bring a coat if she planned on going outside. Zidane started to unzip his coat.

Garnet glanced upward. He was taking off his jacket. "Um," she mumbled watching him slip his arm out of the sleeve. Before she could protest he placed it on her shoulders and zipped the zipper.

"There, now you have to wear…it," Zidane mumbled before slowly backing away from her. He scratched the back of his neck. The wind was piercing through his skin. He shivered and began rubbing his arms. "I didn't think it was this cold," he joked.

She laughed quietly. "I'm sorry for being a burden. You really didn't have to give me your jacket. I would've been all right…" she quietly apologized.

"Don't be silly. I couldn't let you catch a cold," he answered with a small smile. They began walking in step again.

Garnet slipped her arms through the sleeves and stuffed her hands in his pockets. "My house is just up this street…but you probably already know that," she announced nervously.

He laughed nervously. "So, you know that I follow you to school and then back home after school?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and everything," he confessed with a red face.

"It never really bothered me," Garnet confessed genuinely.

Zidane tried to stop himself from smiling. It appeared he wasn't as invisible as he thought he was. He stuffed his hands in his pant pockets. They turned the corner and began walking up the street to get to her house. Even in the snowy days of December Zidane could still manage to spot the light blue roof underneath the snow. Garnet unlatched her front gate and let him inside their yard. He had never been on her property. Zidane had stuck to watching her walk inside her house and shut the door from outside the gate. So, this was a big deal for him.

He walked her to the front porch and watched her push the key in the door to unlock it. "Do you want to come in and have some tea?" she asked looking up at him. How could he deny those pretty brown eyes?

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered. She smiled at him. She pushed open the door and walked inside. He cautiously followed after her closing the door behind him. He made sure not to catch his tail in the door. Zidane opened his mouth in shock. Garnet's house, well the inside of her house, was lovely. The entrance hallway had a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't entirely fancy, but it was still pretty even though it wasn't lit. The walls had blue painted borders of sailboats and fishes. Which he found refreshingly childish. In the far right corner there was a coat rack that Garnet was currently hanging his coat on. The floor was wooden and boarded. It was so shiny it looked as if it had just been polished.

Zidane slipped out of his snow boots and set them beside Garnet's sneakers. He was just following her actions. He didn't want to dirty her house. "Follow me, please," she kindly instructed. She didn't even have to ask for him to follow her.

He stepped onto their white floor carpet and she led him past their staircase, fancy living room, and dining room into the kitchen. The floor was now black and white tile. The countertops were made of black marble and the wood was probably oak. Zidane couldn't tell. They had a small table resting in the middle of the kitchen. It was round and had four chairs; he figured it was made of the same wood as the counters. Garnet turned to him. "You can sit down and I'll make the tea," she instructed softly. He did as he was told. Zidane rather liked their chairs; they had yellow floral printed seat cushions. It was cute.

He watched her every move. Garnet went to one of the top cabinets and grabbed a pastel yellow teapot from it. She set it on the stove and opened the lid. She proceeded to pour water inside and the tea, of course. She turned on the stove and then pulled two teacups from another cabinet. After she was done she took residence in the chair next to Zidane's.

She stared at him. He tried to look away, but didn't succeed for long. There was an awkward silence between them. Both teenagers had no idea what to say each other. Garnet was trying to find the words of apology, while Zidane was trying to force out various questions he had for her.

She sneezed.

"Bless you," Zidane said in mid-laughter.

"I'm sorry, I guess I was out in the cold too long without a jacket," she answered wiping her nose on her sleeve. It wasn't the most lady-like thing to do, but she didn't have a handkerchief or tissue nearby. She bit down on her bottom lip slowly dropping her arm underneath the table. "I'm also sorry for everything that's happened…I'm sorry that I listened to Yuna and ignored you for years…" she apologized regretfully.

He gave her a small smile. "I understand. I'm used to that sort of thing, but you probably already know that. I'm just glad you know I exist. I've tried so many times to get your attention!" he exclaimed staring at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I purposely avoided you so that Yuna wouldn't humiliate you like she always does. But that doesn't matter anymore. I'm my own person now," she answered happily.

"What do you mean, Garnet?"

She paused. "Today Tidus expressed his distaste for Yuna and left, taking me along for the ride. I told her how I felt as well. And now I'm free from that condescending friendship. I can be myself," she concluded as she stared at her lap. Though she would never admit it she was a little scared to see how Yuna would retaliate. She knew Yuna wasn't going to take that sitting down. It was only a matter of time.

Zidane scratched his head. She spoke in such a proper tone, sure he understood every word she said, but still he was amazed. She was extremely literate. It was something he had never noticed seeing as he had never actually had a conversation with her. "That's one vocabulary you have," he replied looking at the refrigerator magnets that were spread across her fridge.

"My mother taught me that young ladies' should speak properly," was her only answer.

Zidane leaned on the table. "So you don't live on the edge much, huh?" he teased with a sly smile on her features.

"I know how to have fun!" she exclaimed surprised that he would say such a thing.

_Ding Dong_

Garnet sighed. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Could you please take the tea pot off the eye if it whistles," she asked. Zidane nodded and she left the room. He sat in silence as he waited for her to return. Had she been expecting someone? Words couldn't explain the happiness he was feeling. Finally, after years of waiting he had gotten to talk with Garnet. He was able to walk her home, enter her house, and sit at the same table with her all in one day. It seemed unreal.

He rested his head on the table still waiting for her to come back. His tail was sticking out of the back of the chair swinging back and forth. He suddenly heard a cry coming from where the front door was. "Garnet!" he exclaimed jumping out of the chair, accidentally knocking it down, and running to where she was.

The sight he saw angered him. Yuna, Paine, and Fuu had stopped by for a visit. Yuna had grabbed Garnet's wrist and was twisting it causing the poor girl pain. "What do you think you're doing!" he shouted running to Garnet's side. He yanked her from Yuna's grasp and pushed her behind him.

Yuna laughed. "Well now, look who's here. How many knights in shining armor do you need, Garnet? I guess we'll see you around," she said, "nice talking to you."

"Get out," Garnet hissed. The three girls left and slammed the door behind them making sure to leave a lasting impression.

Zidane quickly turned to Garnet. "Are you okay?" he asked gently lifted the arm that Yuna had twisted. He moved it from side to side causing Garnet more pain.

"Stop it," she cried yanking it away from him, "It's probably just a sprain…"

* * *

After buying Tidus a new winter coat the group had decided to bring him along while they searched for a poetry book for Olette. It felt nice to have the entire family back. Though all the orphans weren't out it was still nice to have Tidus back, there was a sense of fullness again.

"Hey, we could go look in there," Sora suggested pointing to the shop that was called 'Dmitri's Novels'. "It sells books and stuff so there must be a poetry book in there," Sora pointed out.

"Good call, let's go inside," Tidus said pushing the door open and holding it for everyone to pass through. He was happy to be home.

Kairi walked up to the counter where the store clerk was sitting reading a book. She cleared her throat getting his attention. He glanced up at her straightening out his glasses. "Um, do you sell poetry books?" she asked. Rather than giving a verbal answer he pointed to an aisle in the store. "Thank you," she murmured before walking in that direction. _'Gosh, he could've just told me rather than pointed,' _she thought with a small frown.

Sora blinked. There were so many books he didn't know where to start. He glanced at everyone else and saw that they were already taking books off the shelf and skimming through them. He decided to play it safe and just glance over Kairi's shoulder. He didn't know what he was doing.

Naminé pulled out a book that was titled, 'A Collection of Poems to Read When You're Bored'. She thought Olette might get bored often since she was mostly cooped up in her room all day. She began flipping through the pages amused by all of the poem titles and the illustrations that went along with them. "Hey, what do you think of this one?" she asked no one in particular. Roxas was the first to answer her call. He took the book out of her hands and began skimming the pages. He liked what he saw.

"This is great! Hey, Kairi look at this," he instructed tossing the book over to her. She barely caught it, because she had been holding another book in her hand. Sora took it from her and opened it in front of her so she could read it.

She laughed. "This is wonderful! Let's get her this one!" she exclaimed excitedly. Tidus poked his head over her shoulder and began to read the poem that was on the open page. He smiled. He knew that Olette would definitely like this book. How could she not?

The group happily made their way over to the store counter. Olette would love their present there was no doubt in their minds.

* * *

Olette sighed. She was lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. She was the only one left in the house. She had no idea where the other's had gone, but she didn't really care to know either. The less she knew the better. That way she would have less to report to Fuu and Rai or Yuna. Thus, is why Riku had told her to confine herself to her room. She had no problem with doing that. She usually spent her time in her room anyway. It was quiet and tranquil behind her bedroom door. She could be alone with her photography and her poetry.

Her eyelids were growing heavy. She glanced at her alarm clock. It was only four in the afternoon and she was feeling tired. "I guess a small nap wouldn't do any harm," she thought aloud. She grabbed the clock and set it for seven. That way she would be up for dinner and what not.

A ringer sounded off downstairs. The phone was ringing. Out of habit Olette busted out of her room and ran down the flights of stairs. She hurried into the kitchen and was able to answer the phone two seconds after the second ring. "Hello?" she answered fear in her voice. She silently prayed that it wouldn't be Yuna or Fuu on the line. She didn't know if she could handle talking to them. When she received no answer her worries began fading away.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called again.

Silence.

It felt like Olette was in one of those horror movies. She was alone in a mansion that was completely quiet except for the creaking floorboards. She had answered the phone and no one was on the other line. The only thing that hadn't happened was the light flickering. "Well, if no one's there I'm going to hang up the phone now," she said quietly. Slowly, she began taking the phone away from her ear, but then she heard a small sound. It was a low cough. "Hello?" she called again. She was becoming slightly annoyed.

"Tell Kairi someone called for her." The mysterious person then hung up. Olette was left standing there confused. What just happened? She put the phone back on the receiver and collapsed into one of the chairs.

_Ding Dong_

"Gah!" she shrieked jumping from the chair. Her heart was pounding wildly. "That was just the doorbell…silly me. I'm freaking out over nothing," she mumbled. Sighing deeply she began walking to the front door to see who had decided to visit. She pulled open the front door and was surprised to see Tifa on the other side. "Oh, if you're looking for Naminé she's not here right now," Olette explained.

Tifa smiled. "Actually you'll do just fine too," she answered grabbing Olette's arm and dragging her outside. The darked haired girl pushed Olette in front of her. Olette was surprised to see Rikku, Yuffie, and Aerith down in the snow. Tifa hurried down the stairs and stood next to Aerith.

"What's going on?" Olette asked.

Instead of answering Olette's question the four girls began to sing. She smiled. They were caroling. She happily listened to the girls sing 'Deck the Halls' doing her best to hum along. This, unlike the phone call, was a pleasant surprise. She did wish everyone had been home to enjoy this with her.

When they were finished singing Olette clapped for them. "That was great!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know you guys could sing so well."

Aerith laughed, "Did you think we would sound horrible?"

"No, it's not that!" Olette cried shamefully.

Tifa grinned. "She's just messing with you, but thanks for listening. We'll be going now. Happy Holidays, Olette. Be sure to pass the message on to your room mates," Tifa said cheerily.

"Hey, wait!" Olette exclaimed taking a step downwards.

Yuffie cocked her head to the side. "What's it?" she asked curiously.

Olette looked down at the snow in embarrassment. "Would you guys mind coming in for some hot chocolate or something? Everyone's gone out for one reason or another and I'm all alone. Do you think you could keep me company for a while?" she nearly begged.

"Sure!" Rikku chimed happily, "That sounds much better than hanging out here in the cold, thanks for inviting us!" Rikku and Yuffie quickly ran into the mansion happy to be in the warmth of Olette's shared home.

"Thank you," Aerith said repeating what Rikku had chirped in a more polite and mannered way. She was a very refined lady.

"Hot chocolate sounds great. I haven't had any in a while," Tifa added as she walked inside the house with Olette. It looks like she wasn't going to take a nap today.

* * *

The orphans didn't return home till six in the evening when they had finished all their shopping. Since they hadn't expected Tidus back no one had bought him any presents (except Selphie, of course). So as an apology they had let Tidus pick out what he wanted for Christmas. This took extra time since he wanted to visit several stores and demanded his gifts be wrapped like everyone else. Then, Kairi wanted to go pick out a tree a day early. Her Christmas spirit bug was getting to her again.

So now the group was trudging up the hill with Roxas, Tidus, and Sora dragging the tree along behind them. Zidane never caught up with them, but no one really cared. They figured he had lots of catching up to do with Garnet. "Can we walk a little quicker ladies?" Roxas exclaimed holding up the top part of the tree from the ground.

"Yeah, this tree is heavy!" Sora whined trying to tighten his grip on the mid-section. Tidus had no complaints.

Selphie stuck out her tongue at them. "You'll be fine, besides we're almost there. You guys should be stronger like Tidus! He hasn't said a word since we left the tree lot!" she exclaimed happily. Tidus had only been silent because he was happy to be with his friends and not talking was helping him conserve strength. His face showed his lasting pain and strain. She smiled at him before turning back around to chat with Naminé and Kairi.

The honey blonde was carrying Olette's present and half of Tidus's. Kairi had the other half. They let Selphie off easy since she was just a guest. A guest should never have to carry anything. This was how Kairi felt about it anyway. Roxas had been protesting it the entire way home.

They reached the front door and Sora let out a sigh of relief. Kairi pushed open the door and held it open as the boys pushed and pulled the tree through the doorway. The group had chosen a smaller tree so it didn't take much to get it inside. Sora, Roxas, and Tidus happily dropped the tree on the ground. "Yay!" Sora cheered before he began ripping his layers off.

Roxas pulled off his gloves and began stretching out his hands. The palms were entirely red. He sighed. "I never want to carry another tree again, I don't see why we couldn't just drag it through the snow," he whined rubbing his hands on his pants.

"Because! You guys would've torn it up before we even got it inside. We know how reckless you are," Kairi explained.

"Especially you, Roxas," Naminé added in a teasing tone.

"Hey!" he exclaimed angrily.

"So you guys are finally home."

Heads popped up to look at Tifa and Aerith whom were standing in the doorway staring at them. Rikku and Yuffie poked their heads out from around the corner. "Hey you got a tree!" they exclaimed in unison, "Yay!"

Aerith blinked. "Tidus?" she mumbled quizzically. Her green eyes were filled with confusion.

* * *

_A/N: So that's the new update. I hope you all enjoyed it, because I don't know if I can squeeze in another chapter before they turn the internet off. I'll most certainly try though. So just wish me luck and cross your fingers too! Well, leave a review please. I really enjoy reading them!_


	45. Plotting and Planting

_A/N: This is my next try for a super fast update._

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Chapter Forty-Four: Plotting and Planting

"Uhh, hey, what's up?" Tidus nervously greeted the four girls who were staring at him as if he had just come back from the dead. He pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his coat pocket (They bought him one while they were shopping). The way they were staring at him was freaking him out. He had been expecting some sort of welcome hug not creepy, staring eyes.

Olette walked into the hallway. "What's going on-Tidus!" she exclaimed happily. Tidus turned back around only to be tackled by a strangely happy Olette.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed being thrown into the wall. Olette clung onto him like she had expected to never see him again.

"I'm so happy you're back!" she cried as her tears wet his shirt.

"Group hug!" Rikku exclaimed before she ran and joined the hug. Yuffie was the next to follow. Tifa shrugged and dragged Aerith with her to join the hug. Selphie happily jumped into to it with Naminé and Kairi following closely after her. Sora grinned and joined the mass hug. Roxas stood in the background trying to maintain his manliness. He wouldn't be caught dead in a group hug. He didn't care that Naminé had joined it.

Yuffie poked her head out of the hug. "Come on, Roxas! All we need is you!" she exclaimed waving him over. Roxas stubbornly shook his head. She pouted. "You're no fun Roxie-kun!" Yuffie whined. Rikku popped up and stuck her tongue out at him.

Naminé laughed evilly. She ran over to her boyfriend and grabbed his hand. She batted her eyelashes looking cute. "Pwease, Roxie-kun," she begged as she ran her finger down his chest.

"Cheater!" he exclaimed. Before he could protest more he was dragged into the group hug. He found that he liked it more than he had expected.

In the center of the hug Tidus was being squished from all sides. He could barely breathe. "Air!" he cried trying to squirm out of his friend's grasps. Quickly, the group hug ended as they all backed away from Tidus who was trying to catch his breath. Now, that was more of the welcome he had been expecting, minus the almost suffocating to death part. The only person he hadn't seen yet was Riku. He paused. "Where's Riku?" he suddenly asked.

Kairi ripped off her winter hat. "Oh, he's out somewhere. He's been disappearing a lot lately," she answered stuffing the hat in her coat pocket. She smiled at Rikku, Yuffie, Tifa, and Aerith. "Since you guys are here do you wanna help us decorate the tree?" she asked.

"That'd be wonderful," Aerith replied with a small smile of her own.

"Great!" Kairi exclaimed.

They had already gone through three pots of tea. Garnet and Zidane had been chatting away like they were long lost friends catching up. He was having the time of his life with Garnet. He had known from the first time he met her that she was the girl for him. She was beautiful, had a great sense of humor, was extremely gentle, highly refined, and was handy around the kitchen. Well, at least she was handy in making tea. He had never tasted her cooking. Zidane only imagined it tasted wonderful.

She smiled at him. "This has been so fun. I see what I've been missing out on now. I can't apologize to you enough," she said staring down at the tea that remained in her pastel yellow teacup.

"I told ya before there's no need to say sorry," he laughed grinning at her.

Garnet looked up again. This time there was a panicked look on her face. "Oh dear. What time is it?" she asked before turning her head to look at the cat clock that was hanging on the wall. "It's nearly seven!" she cried.

"What's wrong?" Zidane asked with a confused look.

"You have to go before my mother returns from work," she explained standing up, "I apologize for this. Thank you for everything, Zidane."

Zidane jumped to his feet. "It was no problem, Garnet. I'd do this any day," he vowed.

Garnet led him back to the front entrance; where he proceeded to put his snow boots back on. She lifted his coat from the coat rack and put it on his shoulders. She smiled at him. "It was really lovely talking to you," she began, "do you think I'll be able to see you any time soon?"

Zidane grinned as he slipped his arms into his coat sleeves. "Just one day and you want more, eh Garnet?" he joked.

She frowned. "Zidane!" she cried, "I'd just like to get to know you better, is all."

He laughed. "I know, I know. But I'll tell you what. Come to my place tomorrow and you can have dinner with my family," he offered. Zidane zipped up his coat and pulled his hat from the pocket.

Garnet paused. "What would be an appropriate time for me to arrive?" she asked in a serious tone.

"Um…six should be good," Zidane answered casually.

She smiled. "I'll be there. But seriously, you have to leave," Garnet beckoned.

Zidane nodded. She walked him to the door. He opened the door and stepped outside. He waved goodbye catching one last glimpse of her before she closed the door in his face. A grin spread across his face. He jumped her front gate and happily raced down the sidewalk. "Garnet Til' Alexandros is coming to my house tomorrow for dinner!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He was completely unaware that Garnet was watching him from her window giggling.

Yuna sat in her living room still stewing with anger at the end of the day. She would make him pay. She would make her pay. They would pay for their insolence. Had they forgotten who she was? She was Yuna, an heiress to a great deal of money. She had the power in the school and even outside the school. How dare they defy her?

She growled. "Fuu! Why isn't the pizza you ordered here?" she screamed. Fuu cringed. She hated to hear Yuna scream. The sound was so shrill it made her back hairs stand on edge. She was scarier than Rai after someone had played a priceless prank on him. How she remembered that day and still laughed at the sight of Rai standing outside the gym in nothing but his underwear. She chuckled. "What are you laughing for?" Yuna shouted.

"N-Nothing! And look at the bright side. If they don't get here within thirty minutes the pizza's free," Fuu stated with a fake smile on her features.

"I don't care if the pizza's free I'm rich!" Yuna shouted stomping her feet on the ground.

Paine rolled her eyes. Sure, Yuna was rich, and now she was having a royal hissy fit all because some stupid boy didn't like her. She was a bit surprised at the way Garnet had acted toward Yuna. Usually Garnet was the quiet one. She was the one who was extremely easy to manipulate. The girl was too nice for own good and could be easily misled. Why had she chosen today to finally stand up to Yuna? It was strange. Perhaps she felt that if Tidus could do it she could? Paine didn't really care. She just couldn't wait to get her hands around that thin neck.

"Hm…maybe while we wait for the pizza we should plan our revenge," Paine suggested trying to ease Yuna's mind. The brunette was always at her best when she was planning someone else's downfall. It was refreshingly evil.

Yuna smiled devilishly. "Now, there's a good idea. Paine go get some paper and pencils! I'm going to think of something perfect to smite both Garnet and Tidus," she ordered putting her feet up on her glass coffee table. Her parents weren't going to be home for two weeks so she didn't care what she did to her furniture. If it broke it could easily be replaced.

Fuu sat down on the loveseat resting her head on her hands. She felt it was best to just remain quiet. That way Yuna wouldn't yell at her again. The sound was still echoing through her ears giving her a headache. Paine was quick to return with paper and pencils. Yuna snatched the materials from her and placed them on the coffee table. She jumped down from the couch and sat in front of the coffee table. "Okay, throw out some suggestions ladies," she ordered.

A silence fell over the room as they all thought of ways to avenge Yuna's embarrassment. Fuu rubbed her imaginary beard going deep into her thoughts. "I think the easiest way to hurt Tidus would be to hurt Selphie or someone else close to him," Fuu stated as she stared at Yuna's ceiling. It helped her think.

Yuna scribbled Fuu's idea down on the paper. "Okay, who and how," she asked without looking up.

"If we decide to torture Selphie we can simply ridicule her when school let's back in," Paine deadpanned as she lied out on Yuna's reclining chair.

"And that's losing its excitement. She's too easy to ridicule. I think I've already made her life miserable enough. It's just not fun anymore. How about we target one of those other ragamuffins?" Yuna suggested. The only cooperation she had was when she was plotting evilly. Any other moment than that it was all about her and her ideas. Nobody else mattered.

There was more silence. "Well we've already got Olette on a leash and I don't feel like messing with Kairi again. Do you think Naminé is close to Tidus?" Fuu asked.

"No, she's closer to Roxas. It wouldn't really hurt Tidus if we hurt her," Paine answered.

Yuna tapped her chin. "I think a direct hit on Tidus would be best. But what to do…" she pondered aloud.

"We could just make his life miserable. I'm sure Rai would happily pound him into the ground," Fuu said almost too happily.

"I don't think just beating Tidus to a pulp is enough. I want to do more. I want him to be damaged physically and emotionally!" she exclaimed slamming her pencil down on the table. Paine smirked. Fuu cringed. "I want him to wish he was never born!" she declared.

Paine sat up. "Well, besides sending Rai after him you could send one of our good friends after Selphie. I'm not saying anything like rape, but they could simply use her for their own desires. That would most definitely hurt Tidus, because we'll make it so there's nothing he can do about it. While Rai is busy with him Selphie will also be in peril!" Paine exclaimed. Yuna was writing every word she said down on paper.

"I love it! And I think I know exactly which friend to do the job. Now…what about Garnet? She deserves way worse than what Tidus is getting. Way worse," she growled staring angrily at the piece of paper.

It was Fuu's turn to smirk. She cracked her knuckles. "I can deal with her," she laughed menacingly. Yuna and Paine looked at Fuu with curiosity.

"What did you have in mind?" Yuna inquired raising an eyebrow.

Fuu smiled. "Besides physically harming her? Well, I'll just get her in trouble with her mother. You know, the one who refuses to let anyone in their home? Yeah I'll set her up," she answered.

"Perfect. I'll let you be in charge of that." Yuna's doorbell rang. "The pizza is finally here. Paine go answer the door and don't pay them they're forty-five minutes late!" she exclaimed. She watched as Paine silently went to go answer the door. Things were working out perfectly. Garnet and Tidus would rue the day they ever dared to defy her power. Rue.

Riku knocked the snow from his shoes before silently slipping through the front door. He put his shoes in the corner next to someone's pair of boots. They were strange. He figured there were people over. He could already hear the buzzing voices coming from the living room. _'What are they doing in there?' _he thought. As he pulled off his winter coat and scarf he tried to peer into the living room to get a glimpse of what was going on. The only thing that he could see was the back of Sora's spiky head. He rolled his eyes. _'That boy is too perky for his own good.'_

He made his way into the living room to be greeted by the most horrid sight. A Christmas tree. He frowned. This was something he was not ready or willing to see.

"Do you like it, Riku?" Kairi asked a happy ring to her voice. Atop her head was a Santa Claus hat that Rikku had pulled out of her bag earlier. "It's not much, but we did our best to make it look as Christmassy as possible. So what do you think?" Kairi pestered.

Riku was silent. He hated Christmas. Had Kairi forgotten? There was nothing he had or wanted to say about their display of holiday joy. He scoffed and quickly removed himself from the room making sure to leave an aura of angry feelings.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "What a party pooper!" he shouted after the albino boy. Riku quickly ran back into the room and stood in front of Roxas glaring at him. "I mean…y-you're the life of the party, Riku. Whoo! Stop you party a-animal. You're t-too crazy…man," he stuttered shrinking under Riku's death glare. Riku left the room once again and Roxas nearly fell off the couch.

Naminé stifled her laughter. She turned away from her scaredy cat boyfriend and looked at the marvelous tree. They had stringed it with multi-colored lights that were blinking in unison. They had various ornaments and origami figures decorating the tree provided by herself of course. At the top of the tree was a group picture of their dysfunctional family that had been taken earlier in the year. They picked the one Riku was actually smiling in and Roxas wasn't giving the peace sign. Their individual pictures were spread around the tree. Kairi thought it gave the tree a kind of flair.

Yuffie grinned. "It was fun decorating your guy's tree, but I think Rikku and I should be heading home. It's practically nine!" Yuffie exclaimed happily.

"Oh yeah! Well thanks for having us, Olette," Rikku said happily as she was hurriedly pulled out of the living room by her ebony haired sister.

Aerith looked at her watch. "That's right, I have to be going too. My mother is probably worried out of her mind. Oh well, this is just another situation that'll support my need of a cell phone," she giggled waving goodbye as she left the room.

"Yeah, see you guys later. We'll come back over for Christmas, okay?" Tifa said before leaving the room.

"Bye!" Olette said waving to the souls that had already left the room and soon enough the house all-together.

Kairi smiled. "So, is that what you were doing all day, Olette? Hanging out with Tifa, Aerith, Rikku, and Yuffie?" she inquired while eating some of the popcorn Sora had made to hold them until he decided to make a late dinner.

"N-No. Well kind of. They came by caroling and I offered them hot chocolate. Oh, by the way someone called for you Kairi. They didn't leave a name though," Olette answered. Kairi shrugged. She didn't really care. She figured if the person didn't leave a name or a return number they didn't really care to talk to her. She did have a certain curiosity about who had called, though.

"Am I the only one who just realized Aerith had an evil side?" Roxas exclaimed staring at the group with wide eyes.

Naminé laughed and patted Roxas on the shoulder. "It's okay, Roxas. We understand," she said with a sympathetic tone to her voice.

"Understand what?" he exclaimed looking at her with confusion written all over her face.

"Guys! Guys! Guys! Guys!" Zidane burst into the living room with his winter hat still on his head. Everyone stared at him with the same bewildered look on his or her face. They hadn't expected to get a late night visit from him. "Garnet's coming to my house for dinner tomorrow!" he cried happily.

Sora shouted happily for his friend. He grabbed Zidane's hands and the two began bouncing around in a circular motion. Olette giggled. Roxas shook his head in disappointment. Kairi was jumping up and down by herself. Naminé was just staring in complete and utter shock.

"You guys just lost all the respect that I had for you," Roxas muttered still shaking his head. He didn't want to witness this embarrassing moment. He felt ashamed for even knowing them. He felt ashamed that he even lived in the same house as Sora. There was no way he'd be able to look at the brunette the same. It was amazing that Kairi still stuck with him. Then again, she was a strange one too.

Olette stood up from the lounge chair. "Well, I'm going to go order pizza. I don't think Sora will be making dinner tonight," she laughed.

Tidus sighed. "That's fine with me, just don't order anything with sausage on it. I've had enough sausage pizza for a lifetime!" he exclaimed falling on the floor. He had wanted Sora to cook dinner, but he could wait another day. Besides, he was sure Sora's Christmas Eve dinner would be delicious. There was no better time for him to come home. He was like a human sized Christmas present without the wrapping.

Selphie looked at her watch. "My mom's gonna want me home soon too, so I'll see you guys Christmas day?" she asked.

"Of course you will!" Tidus answered happily, "Come on, I'll walk you to the end of the trail." Selphie smiled and took his arm. She was so glad to finally have him home for good. They left the living room and walked into the front entrance. He grabbed her coat for her and she slipped into it pulling her earmuffs and gloves from her pocket. She pulled on her gloves and fastened her earmuffs.

Tidus opened the door and the two walked hand in hand down the trail. Tidus had forgotten to put shoes on so his feet were decreasing in temperature with every step. He just couldn't get used to the Traverse Town weather. Selphie laughed at him. "Why didn't you put some shoes on?" she asked looking into his blue eyes.

He shrugged. "Shoes are for pansies…it takes a real man to walk out in the snow with no shoes or socks!" he exclaimed. Selphie laughed again. "I'm so glad to be home," he said with a happy sigh.

"I'm so glad your home too. Now I can finally get to see you whenever I want. All I have to do is walk to your house and you'll be there. I really did miss you," she said before resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"I missed you too," Tidus whispered.

They came to the end of the trail. Selphie released his hand. "Well, I'll see you the day after tomorrow then?" Tidus nodded. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "See you then!" she exclaimed before running across the street. Tidus smiled. His feet didn't feel so cold anymore. He wasn't sure if that was because of Selphie or the fact that he was slowly losing feeling in them. He ran back to the house. He was too young to lose his feet.

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_A/N: I'm really surprised I finished this! Well I have five minutes left before the internet is cut so I'm going to end this here. I got to eight pages so I'm quite content with this chapter. Well anyway I'll see you guys in a few weeks I guess. Please leave some nice reviews for me to read when I finally get connection back! Thanks for reading!_


	46. Christmas Dinner

_A/N: I still have internet at nearly one in the morning so I figured why not type up another chapter? I don't know how long it'll last though. It's probably because no one's awake at the Road Runner place. Oh well, I've got nothing better to do, lol!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea. If that makes any sense._

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Chapter Forty-Five: Christmas Dinner

After cramming pizza down their mouths, (Riku's took his to his room and slammed the door to Naminé's dismay) they were all ready for sleep. Zidane would be spending the night simply because he didn't feel like walking home. Sora was staring at the ceiling unable to sleep. He was too excited for Christmas Eve. Yes, he was fully aware of the truth about Santa, but just the fact there was so much planned for tomorrow. First, he would be running over to Zidane's to help him pick out an outfit to impress Garnet with. Second, he would be running back home to cook Christmas Eve dinner with Kairi. Lastly, the day would be finished up with the annual Traverse Town tree lighting. Tomorrow would be amazing. Now if only he could get his hands on some mistletoe.

His bedroom door suddenly creaked open. He looked to the doorway and saw the outline of Kairi slipping inside. She scurried over to his bed and climbed in. "Hi Sora," she whispered smiling at him.

"I thought you already went to sleep, Kai-Kai," he answered back in a hushed tone.

She shrugged. "I was asleep, but then I couldn't because I'm too excited for tomorrow," she began to explain, "Christmas Eve is always an exciting day in general, but I've never been to an actual tree lighting. And then I've never helped prepare Christmas dinner too."

Sora grinned. "Well, a wise person once said there's a first time for everything," he joked. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. It appeared that she would be sleeping in his bed tonight so he might as well get to hold her in his sleep. Kairi snuggled against his shoulder and stared into his eyes. "So I'm going to go find some mistletoe tomorrow," Sora randomly announced.

"Why?" Kairi asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you know I thought that maybe if I found some I might get a kiss tomorrow," Sora explained slightly embarrassed.

Kairi giggled quietly. "You don't need mistletoe to get a kiss from me…unless you were planning on cheating on me," she teased. Sora quickly shook his head.

"I would never cheat on you, never," he quietly vowed.

"Good. If you did I just might have to kill you," Kairi laughed before digging her head into his t-shirt. "You're still so warm."

Sora smiled. If this is what getting warm got him he liked being warm. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Well, no matter how excited we are I think it's best if we go to sleep now," he advised. He could feel Kairi's nod and then he soon drifted off into sleep. He was actually calmer when she was nearby.

The alarm clock buzzed at nine in the morning. Zidane groaned and hit the top of his alarm turning it off. He then covered his head with his pillow ignoring the blanket that was wrapped around him. His tail was erect in the air swaying back and forth every now and then. His room was a mess. The door was barricaded with dirty clothing; well, the clothing that wasn't covering the floor. His desk had random papers spread across it. His closet door was blocked shut by some random Lego figurine that he was building. The walls were covered in band and halfway naked women posters. His lamp had a sock hanging on it. The drawers of his dresser were stuck out open. Used plates and silverware were spread across the room.

"Okay, on three, Vivi. One. Two. Three."

On the other side of Zidane's door Vivi and Blank were trying to bust the door open. As Zidane's brothers they simply could not let him over sleep today. Today was too important for him. Zidane had told them to wake him up at all means necessary so that he could begin cleaning the house for Garnet. So that's exactly what they were doing: throwing their bodies against his door for Garnet.

Vivi whined. "My shoulder hurts," he cried rubbing his side.

"We have to wake up Zidane," Blank said still banging on the door, "Zidane, get your lazy butt out of that bed. Remember! Garnet's coming over! You have to clean!" He continued to bang as hard as he could. His efforts were futile. The sound of Zidane snoring from behind the door could still be heard.

Vivi slammed himself into the door once again. It barely budged. Vivi growled. "Zidane, wake up!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. They paused. They heard some rummaging in his room. Curiously, they pressed their ears against the door trying to see if Zidane had really woken up.

"Mommy…I want the red one."

They sighed.

Baku entered the hallway. "What's all the commotion, boys?" he asked.

"Zidane won't wake up!" Vivi cried.

Baku cracked his knuckles and fastened his goggles. "Allow me," he stated. Blank snatched Vivi out of the way. Baku took a few steps back and then ran full force into the door. It came crashing down off of its hinges. Zidane shouted and jumped up, losing his balance, and falling off his bed. "What'd you do that for, Baku?" he exclaimed while lying on the ground.

"Boy, get up. Garnet's coming over, remember?" Baku ordered.

Zidane jumped to his feet. "My room, this house. It's a mess! Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed beginning to panic. Vivi happily walked into the room and handed Zidane a broom.

"Get to work!" Vivi cried kicking Zidane in the shin and then running away.

Blank laughed before walking back to his room and closing the door. Baku looked at Zidane and shook his head sympathetically. "There's a big mess in the kitchen from breakfast this morning so I suggest you get to work," he said patting his son on the back. Zidane sighed he would be cleaning all day. Why didn't he just tell Garnet nine? Baku left the room and left Zidane to wallow around in his misery.

"Oh well…better start now. Maybe I'll get the house to look a little presentable," he muttered as he began sweeping his clothes into one big pile. Zidane had never been good at cleaning.

Garnet yawned. The sun's rays were hurting her eyes as she slowly woke up. She sat up in her bed rubbing her eyes. She stretched out her arms letting out another long yawn. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nine thirty. "Well, I guess mother will be wanting her breakfast," she thought aloud. She got out of bed and walked to her bathroom to prepare herself for the day.

"Garnet! Garnet!"

The shrill sound was coming from Garnet's mother, Brahne. Garnet quickly brushed her teeth and hair trying to multi-task. She got up late this morning and her mother was probably starving. She rushed out of the bathroom and quickly changed out of her pajamas and into a long, white skirt and a blue long sleeve shirt. She would change again when she saw Zidane later. She clipped her long hair back with a blue clamp. "I'm coming mother!" she shouted running out of her room and down their staircase.

Garnet hurried into the living room where her mother was sitting watching television. A fan was in her hand. There was something different about her mother. Could it be that her skin was blue and she was so obese she looked as if she couldn't stand? Her mother had often been referred to as an elephant lady. The woman dressed in lavish garments and often wore bright pink make up like she was today. Garnet curtsied to her mother. "Good morning, mother," she greeted. Garnet did love her mother.

Brahne smiled at her daughter. "Good morning, dear. Do you know what time it is?" she asked sweetly.

"It's about nine forty-five. I know I got up a little late this morning, but I promise it won't happen again. What would you like for breakfast?" Garnet asked humbly.

"Eggs, bacon, and a piece of toast would be suiting," Brahne replied before turning her attention back to the television. Garnet nodded and scurried into the kitchen. She smiled remember yesterday's events. There wouldn't be a Yuna showing up at her door at ten in the morning demanding she go and help her cause trouble. Instead today she would be seeing Zidane and his family. She had always wondered what kind of family he had. Yuna had never really touched on that issue other than calling his family a hoard of misfits. Garnet wondered if they all had tails. Then again, Vivi didn't have a tail. Vivi was the only one from his family that she had seen. This was only because Yuna thought Vivi was adorable.

She pulled open the fridge and got out the eggs and microwavable bacon. She went to one of the bottom cabinets and got a skillet. Garnet appreciated her mother's simple request this morning. She figured it was only because her mother would be running late if she ate as much as she usually did. The menu usually consisted of pancakes or waffles, grits or oatmeal, and a long list of more breakfast foods. Her mother had an appetite.

She was never pleased.

Sora had already made breakfast. He had gotten up early so he could leave early to go see Zidane. The monkey-tailed boy had left their home at five in the morning claiming that'd he'd be going home to clean. The call he had received from Blank ten minutes ago said otherwise. So he simply made some oatmeal for Naminé, Roxas, Riku, Olette, Tidus, and Kairi. After he was done he set the pot on a cool eye and ran back upstairs to get ready. Kairi was still asleep in his bed so he had to be careful not to wake her up. He happened to run past Naminé who had just started walking down the stairs.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she exclaimed shaking her fist like an old lady. She sighed deciding to let it go. She should be used to this sort of thing by now. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The smell of freshly cooked oatmeal was still lingering in the air. "Hm…oatmeal, I haven't had that since I left the orphanage. Oh well, minus well eat up." It was Christmas Eve it would be cruel to complain.

She grabbed one of the bowls that had been set out and poured herself some oatmeal. She peered into the sink and saw that Sora had already eaten. She sat down at the table and slowly began eating. Sora had been especially nice today and set the table.

The next person to enter the kitchen was Tidus. He was still extremely tired, but he was more hungry than tired. He hadn't gotten enough pizza last night, because he had no taste for pizza. That was all Yuna had fed him while she had him in captivation. "Good mornin', Naminé," he greeted as he wandered over to where the bowls were. He grabbed one and fixed himself a bowl. He then proceeded to sit next to Naminé who was playing with her spoon more than she was eating.

"Morning," she deadpanned.

"Not one for oatmeal, huh?" Tidus laughed. Naminé shook her head. "Aww, come on it has strawberry bits in it," he cooed. He put a spoonful in his mouth and made sounds of delight. No matter what Sora cooked it always made his taste buds sing. "Wits Dewilious," he said with his mouth full.

Naminé scrunched up her face. "Don't talk with your mouth full!" she cried looking away. Tidus stifled a laugh. She was still the same old Naminé.

Before Olette could step into the kitchen she was nearly ran over by a rushing Sora. He shouted his apologies for nearly knocking her over, but that didn't make it any better. "G-Good morning," she stuttered. Olette glanced at what was for breakfast. Oatmeal, yum. Oatmeal was actually something Olette enjoyed eating for breakfast. Since it was something Sora barely prepared she thought of it as an early Christmas present. "Mmm, oatmeal with strawberry bits in it. Yum," she said happily as she fixed herself a bowl. She sat next to Tidus and quickly began eating.

"See, she likes oatmeal with strawberry bits!" Tidus exclaimed. The honey blonde rolled her eyes. He laughed.

Kairi and Riku were the next to enter the kitchen. They repeated the same actions of Olette, Tidus, and Naminé and then found a seat at the table. "Good morning, guys. And Happy Christmas Eve!" Kairi exclaimed before stuffing a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.

"Yeah, whatever," Riku muttered.

Kairi pouted. "You could at least be a little jolly," she mumbled before eating some more oatmeal. The kitchen grew silent. Riku was obviously in a bad mood and everyone else was too afraid to say anything. "So…where'd Sora go?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Keeping tabs on him?" Tidus asked smiling at her slyly.

She shook her head. "He's my boyfriend there's no need to keep tabs. I was just wondering where he went, because when I woke up he wasn't there," she explained.

Tidus jumped out of his chair. "You two go out now? Selphie didn't tell me about that!" he exclaimed staring at her in disbelief. She only nodded giving him her own sly smile. "Hey, no one told me so you can't blame me!" Tidus exclaimed in shock.

Olette giggled, "I think you didn't know because they started going out after Selphie went to visit you. She's got at least a good thirty minutes of them sleeping together on her video camera if you'd care to watch. Be warned though, they drool in their sleep."

"Ew!" Naminé shrieked.

"Okay, so what do you think?" Zidane asked while holding a pair of jeans in his right hand and a nice blue and white-stripped polo in the other. Sora shrugged. He didn't know much about fashion. He just knew Zidane was acting strangely similar to Naminé right now. "Could you be more responsive!" he exclaimed, "this is Garnet we're talking about. You know the girl I've been in love with for years now? I have to impress her!"

"Okay! Okay! That outfit just doesn't seem like you, is all. You like wearing the frilly collars and vests! Wear one of those outfits," Sora answered lying back on his made up bed. Zidane had worked a miracle, because his room and the rest of the house were spotless and it was only noon. Baku was already in the kitchen making the dinner. He had started early since he would be making extra for Garnet.

Zidane rubbed his imaginary beard. "I think you might be on to something, Sora!" Zidane disappeared into his closet. A few minutes later he jumped out holding a white, frilly collared, long sleeve shirt. "I'm going to wear this and these." He held out a pair of dark blue pants and his usual vest.

Sora grinned. "That's more like the Zidane I know!" he exclaimed.

Zidane stared at his chosen outfit. "Do you think she'll be impressed?" he inquired.

"Of course she will. Besides, I think she's smart and realizes it's about the personality and not what you're wearing. So, I think if you just be yourself everything will be okay!" Sora exclaimed trying to give his best words of encouragement to Zidane. The blonde smiled at his friend. It was at times like these he wished that Sora could always give words of wisdom. The spiky brunette barely had anything intelligent to say most of the time. Then again, that was just around him. He didn't know what Sora was like when he wasn't around, because he wasn't around.

Sora looked at Zidane's alarm clock. "Well, I better get home and start cooking our Christmas dinner, good luck Zidane," he said as he began walking to the door.

"Thanks, I'm sure I'll need it," Zidane laughed as he waved goodbye. He was glad that he got a second opinion on his outfit. Now he just needed to take a shower and then get dressed. Then he would have to prepare some words for Garnet. He wanted to look cool and suave.

It didn't take long for Sora to get home and start cooking with Kairi. They worked non-stop. Hours and hours passed by and they slaved together over a hot stove. Occasionally someone would walk by the kitchen doorway and be amazed by the intensity of their cooking. Naminé found it slightly scary to peer in there. The kitchen was a mess. Flour practically blanketed the counters among other things.

Soon it was five o'clock and their labor was finally done. Together Sora and Kairi had prepared Ham, Deviled Eggs, Fresh Rolls, Macaroni and Cheese, and Steamed Broccoli. It was a good feeling to be able to prepare their own dinner this time rather than borrowing from others. Sora leaned out of the kitchen doorway. "Guys! We finished the dinner!" he shouted as loud as he could thinking they all would hear him. He thought right.

Roxas, Riku, and Tidus came stampeding down the stairs with Olette and Naminé slowly walking behind them. The teens hadn't had a proper lunch so they were starving and ready to eat this marvelous dinner Sora and Kairi had been working on for hours. "Finally! I'm starved!" Roxas exclaimed running into the kitchen. The sweet aroma of food met his nostrils and he felt as if he were in heaven. Unfortunately, Sora had not made any porkchop, but he was okay with that. As long as there was something for him to eat he was happy. Roxas grabbed a plate followed by the rest of the gang and began serving himself.

"You guys did a great job with this," Tidus stated licking his lips. How he pinned for some of the macaroni and cheese. It looked so delicious.

"Thanks!" Sora exclaimed proudly. He was glad that he could provide something to their dysfunctional family that wasn't exactly dysfunctional anymore. He handed a plate to Kairi and they began to serve themselves as well. Soon everyone was seated at the table with a plate in front of them. Sora had made the table again and poured apple cider into the glasses. He still wished for a better set of china. They began eating, refueling their bodies with energy.

Riku ate faster than everyone else. He had somewhere to be in an hour and had to make sure everything was accounted for. He also wanted to show up early so he could have some flirtations with Lulu before Axel and Demyx showed up. For some reason they always arrived together. He never cared to ask why, though.

"Geez, slow down carnivore," Naminé said watching Riku tear into the ham.

Riku glared at her. "Don't tell me how to eat. I'll eat how I want too. Besides, I have somewhere to be in the next hour so I have to go get ready," he explained trying not to waste his temper on Naminé.

Kairi frowned. "You're not going to come see the tree lighting with us?" she inquired sadly. She had hoped the entire family would be there to see it. That was a funny term to use to describe their gathering, a family. "I thought we could all see it together…" she mumbled.

"I'll be there, trust me." This was all Riku said before he started gnawing on the ham again. Kairi faked a smile and began eating again. The table was especially silent, because they had all been starved for the day. This meal had been something worth waiting for.

Tidus smiled at Sora and Kairi. "This is really delicious. And I'm not just saying that because I haven't had a decent meal in a while. It really is great! Good job," he praised them, "Heh heh, I remember Kairi couldn't cook to save her life a couple of months ago. And now look, she's helping Sora in the kitchen."

Kairi scratched the back of her neck. "I didn't really do most of the cooking. I just handled measurements. And even then Sora had to double check me," she laughed nervously.

"Oh…well at least you know how to measure?" Tidus attempted.

Roxas laughed, "Apparently she doesn't!" Naminé kicked him from under the table. "Ow!" he cried. He winced trying to nurse his knee without making it obvious that he was nursing his knee. He glanced at Naminé as if to ask why she kicked him. She ignored him pretending as if she had never kicked him. He sighed. "Sorry Kairi," he muttered.

Kairi smiled trying to silence her uncontrollable laughter. "T-Thanks," she replied trying to concentrate on her food. Riku finished and dropped his plate off in the sink. He waved goodbye before leaving the kitchen. He ran back upstairs and the room became silent. They were all wondering the same thing. Where was he going?

Zidane was pacing the front entrance waiting for Garnet to show up. It was almost six. She would be here any moment now. Zidane knew she was the type of person to arrive early rather than late. He had on the outfit Sora had approved. He even put on some of Blanks' cologne to try and smell nice. Zidane had even gone as far to trim his tail. Which resulted in great pain on his part. He nearly snipped a piece off.

He was torturing himself pacing back and forth like that. _'What am I doing? She's going to think I'm desperate if I answer the door within a second of her knocking or ringing the doorbell. I've got to calm down and go and sit in the living room with Vivi,'_ he thought. Just as he was headed to go to the living room the doorbell rang. He quietly approached the door and peered through the small peek hole. Garnet was standing on the other side looking extremely cute and slightly nervous. Though, he could only see her white cloak. The edges were decorated with red triangles.

Because of his staring he had forgotten she had rang the doorbell and Vivi had snuck up under him and opened it. Vivi stared at Garnet with curious eyes. Garnet simply smiled at him. "Hello, I'm Garnet. Zidane invited me to your-."

"Hey! Garnet," Zidane greeted trying to cover his mistake. He pulled open the door wider and Vivi quickly scurried away knowing when to avoid his brother. "Come in, please," Zidane offered kindly. Garnet stepped inside the house and Zidane closed the door.

Garnet looked around Zidane's entrance. It was nice, subtle, and quaint. All the qualities she liked in a home. She wasn't much for fancy decoration or chandeliers like in her home. "Uhh…let me take your…cloak," he paused. Garnet removed her hood and allowed Zidane to take it off of her. He then hung it on the wall rack. They didn't have a standing coat rack.

Zidane hid his smile. Garnet looked simply lovely today. She was dressed in a white peasant shirt and a long, dark blue pencil skirt. Around her neck was some sort of pendant. It was like a glass claw. Her legs were covered with skin colored stockings and she had on a pair of nice black heels. (Luckily she wouldn't have to take off her shoes in his house.) She had her hair back in a clamp like she always did, but her brown eyes were looking especially mesmerizing. "You look…great," Zidane choked out trying to get the words out of his mouth.

She smiled at him. "You look very handsome this evening as well," she replied. This time he didn't have a problem with her proper talk. With all her fancy words and proper tone it actually made the compliment feel a thousand times better. He was speechless. "Well, can we enter your house now?" she asked a little giggle escaping her lips.

"Oh! Right…uhh, follow me," Zidane instructed as he led her down the hallway. "Behind that door is Blank's room, that's Vivi's, Baku's, and this one is mine." He said pointing to the corresponding door.

"Can I see your room?" she asked curiously.

Zidane stumbled forward. He was now glad he took the time to clean it. He hadn't really expected Garnet to actually be interested in viewing his room. It was a good thing he decided to take down his womanizing posters. "Well if you really want too," he mumbled pushing open the door. Garnet smiled. His room was just as she expected it to be, except cleaner. His bed was in the corner of his room by the window. To the right of his bed was his closet and then on the wall next to it was his desk. The bedside table was where his lamp was. She expected it was clean because she was over to see it.

"It's very nice," Garnet said wandering off into the living room. Zidane exhaled. That went better than he expected. This visit wouldn't be that hard to survive. Now he just hoped Vivi, Blank, and Baku wouldn't embarrass him.

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_A/N: Okay, so this is definitely the last update for today. I am tired beyond belief but I just had to finish this because I know I won't be able to update for a while. So I took advantage of the lingering internet that I am still surprised is on. Well, I hope you enjoyed it and that this will keep you till I can update again! Thanks for reading! Please leave some reviews for me to read later! Okay?_


	47. Tree Lighting

_A/N: Yay! I have Internet and it didn't even take as long as I thought it would. Geez, I always have the worst case scenario in mind. But that doesn't matter what matters is that I can actually type up another chapter and not have to wait thousands of days to finally update. I figured this would all make you happy. Just like I was overjoyed to have several reviews in my inbox when I checked my mail this morning! Thank you!_

_Disclaimer: So yeah…I don't own Kingdom Hearts._

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Chapter Forty-Six: Tree Lighting

The Tribal family was seated at their dining table preparing to eat the luxurious looking dinner Baku had made, with a little help from Vivi. Garnet was slightly disgusted with the meal they were having. She had never seen food that was so…eccentric. "So…what is this called?" she asked trying to carefully word her question so she wouldn't upset or offend anyone.

Baku looked at Zidane as if visually asking him to do the talking. It was 'his' girl anyway. Zidane cleared his throat. He pointed to the purple colored platter that looked like it was once an octopus that met it's fate when it was ran over by a sixteen wheeler on the highway. "Okay, that is steamed raddish," he said. He then pointed to the big, middle platter was some kind of gigantic chicken looking type food. "That is baked chocobo." (A/N: I love chocobo's I swear!) He then pointed to the small bowl beside the baked chocobo. "That's one of Vivi's creations, Blizzara soup. It's really cold." He pointed to the salad looking platter. "Those are gysahl greens with dead pepper on them." The last dish was at the other end of the table. "And lastly, my favorite, sweet pickles."

Garnet was silently shocked. She had never heard of any of those foods besides raddish and pickles, of course. Since she usually cooked the dinners and all the other meals she made the usual turkey and what not. This was not what she was used to. She smiled weakly. "I guess tonight will be a learning experience for me then. I've never tried of any of those," she explained.

Zidane, Vivi, Blank, and Baku stared at her with wide eyes. "You've never had Chocobo!" they all exclaimed in unison.

"I mean, I can see why you haven't had Blizzara soup. That's Vivi's silliness in a bowl. It tastes really bad!" Zidane said sticking out his tongue in disgust.

Vivi glared at him. "It's an acquired taste," he muttered.

Baku grabbed a butcher knife and began cutting the chocobo. "Gimme yer plate, Garnet," he ordered. Before she could act Zidane grabbed her plate and handed it to Baku. He wanted to be a gentleman. Baku grinned. "This follows two rules of ours. One, ladie's first. And two, newcomers get first dibs," he joked cheerily.

She laughed nervously. "It must be my lucky day," she mumbled watching Baku load the strange foods on her plate. As quickly as it was taken away her plate was returned to her. She stared at it in awe as everyone else was served. _'I should at least be polite and try some. I couldn't possibly turn down such wondrous hospitality. My mother taught me to always be polite so I must try these strange foods,'_ she thought trying to mentally prepare herself. Garnet really didn't want to try chocobo or gyashl greens.

Zidane grinned at her. _'She must be going insane from Baku's horrible cooking. Well, she's lady-like enough she'll know to grin and bear it like the rest of us,' _he thought. Though he would admit he loved the taste of baked chocobo. He was glad Baku hadn't decided to make moogle. Garnet probably would've run out of the house screaming. Eating moogle was like eating your pet dog, but Baku didn't see that way.

Baku smiled at Garnet. She was so quiet. She was quieter than Vivi whom had already started eating his Blizzara soup. He would never understand that boy. He began to eat his gyashl greens with dead pepper feeling proud of his cooking. Blank stared down at his plate in disgust. "Hey Baku…don't you have to plug in the Christmas lights?"

"Oh, you're right! Excuse me." Baku quickly left the table.

Blank looked at Garnet, then Zidane, and lastly Vivi. Vivi pulled out a miniature trashcan from out under the table. He placed it on the table and quickly began pushing his gyashl greens and raddish into the trash.

"What're you doing?" she exclaimed placing her hand on her mouth. She often did this when she was surprised. How could someone waste food?

Zidane looked around. "No one really likes gyashl greens or steamed raddish so every holiday we just dump it in the trash before Baku even notices we haven't eaten it. It works every time. Now hurry up before comes back," Zidane instructed as he began dumping part of his plate. Garnet had a bittersweet feeling as she obliged to such strange habits. She hadn't even tried it and she was ready to throw it away. Once everyone had dumped their nasty food Vivi quickly hid the trashcan under the table again and Baku re-entered the dining room.

"Sorry about that, Garnet. I usually remember to turn on the Christmas lights…hm. Oh! Look you guys already ate all your gyashl greens and steamed raddish. I knew it was your favorite so I cooked extras that'll last us the whole week!" he exclaimed. Zidane silently cried.

"Come on, Sora! If we don't hurry we won't get to help put lights on the gigantic Christmas tree!" she cried standing outside of Sora's room. He was getting dressed so he, Kairi, and the rest of the band of orphans could all go enjoy the town festivities. He demanded that he should put on a sweater since they would be standing outside for several hours. Yet, thirty minutes later he was still getting changed in his room while everyone else (minus Riku) was impatiently waiting downstairs.

Kairi leaned on the wall parallel with Sora's room. She was beginning to get impatient with Sora. She was ready to go. Her winter coat and accessories were already zipped up on her. She began playing with her fingers making triangles and squares. "Sora, hurry up please!" she whined.

Sora walked out of his room with his red turtleneck sweater on and his hands behind his back. "I couldn't find something, but I'm ready to go now," he said grinning at her.

She smiled. "That's a nice color on you, but let's go!" she exclaimed about to take off down the hallway, but Sora grabbed her arm. His other hand was above their heads dangling a certain object above them. Kairi giggled, "Is that what you were looking for?"

"Yep! On my way home I went and bought one, and then I thought I lost it but it had fallen off my bed and got pushed underneath when I was changing clothes. So now I have it," Sora explained giving a pretty reasonable excuse for his tardiness.

Kairi continued smiling. "Well I guess I should pay you for your trouble then," she giggled. She grabbed Sora's shoulders and kissed his lips before quickly running down the hallway screaming another 'hurry up'. Sora stood there with his goofy grin pasted onto his face.

The teens were soon out of the house and on their way to the Third District to watch the tree lighting. Sora still had the same goofy, love-stricken look on his face. Kairi was happily hopping ahead being sure to leave her footprints in the snow; she was a bit too eager. Riku was still nowhere to be seen. Olette had her hands stuffed in her pockets trying to keep herself warm. Tidus was taking in his surroundings trying to completely flush Twilight Town out of his system. Roxas and Naminé were walking hand in hand casually talking about tomorrow. This was a pretty typical walk for the group. At least they weren't arguing.

"Hey, let's take the short cut to the Third District through these doors!" Kairi begged pointing to the gigantic wooden doors in front of them. "Please!"

Tidus shrugged. "The sooner we get there the better right?" he asked no one in particular. Without getting feedback from the rest of the group he pushed open the doors to reveal the most magnificent sight, well in Kairi's eyes anyway. In the center of the already neon lit Third District there stood a twenty foot tall evergreen. Ornaments, Popcorn strings, and the star the top were already on the tree. Kairi watched in pure bliss as some of the townspeople wrapped the lights around the tree.

"I must go help!" she cried running off towards the tree.

Sora stumbled forward. He caught himself before he fell. There was no reason to chase after Kairi right now. He probably wouldn't know what to do if he went to help with the Christmas tree either way. So he stayed with the group. The orphans made their way over to a nice sitting spot in the snow. Naminé laid their blanket down and they all huddled on top of it trying to keep warm.

"I'm surprised you didn't follow after Kairi," Tidus said while vigorously rubbing his hands together trying to create fiery warmth. His gloves were preventing him from achieving his goal.

Sora shrugged. "This is Kai-Kai's thing. I wouldn't really know what or how to help if I went after her. So this time I decided to stay with you guys," he explained watching Kairi climb a ladder with part of the string of lights in her hand. She really was something. He grinned. She was his girlfriend now.

Olette was uncontrollably shivering. She didn't know if it was from fear or from frost. It had now occurred to her that the tree lighting was an open, public event that anyone could show up to. What if Yuna came to the tree lighting? What if she hurt her because Olette hadn't been reporting to Fuu or Rai? It did surprise her that no one had called to bother her in the past few days except for the strange caller that asked for Kairi.

"Maybe you should've covered up more, Olette," Naminé said staring at the shivering Olette.

Olette smiled. "No…I'm okay. I just haven't really been outside much so I have to get used to the air," she lied.

"Oh…okay. Look! They're about to start, Kairi's coming back."

Zidane was walking Garnet home from his family's Christmas Eve dinner. He thought she might not be safe if she walked home alone at night and insisted that he take her home. Who knew what could be lurking outside at night? He didn't want Garnet getting hurt.

Garnet smiled to herself. Despite eating strange foods like chocobo meat, she did have fun at Zidane's house. His family was very sweet to her and their arguments were so cute. Especially when Vivi would get angry because his brothers were teasing him. She found it funny how Vivi's immediate response was to kick their shins. She looked at Zidane who was all too quick to return her stare. "I must say I have never had so much fun in my life, Zidane. Your family is so darling," she confessed.

He scratched his head. "This is the first time my family has ever been described as darling," he said, "but I guess that's a good thing. I was kinda scared they were going to scare you away."

She laughed. "I think you and your family would be the last thing in the world to frighten me," she answered. Garnet paused. "Oh!"

Zidane raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"The tree lighting is tonight! I completely forgot!" she exclaimed covering her mouth in surprise. Garnet glanced at Zidane and smiled sweetly. "Do you think you could escort me to the tree lighting, Zidane?" she requested sweetly.

He grinned. "Of course, I'd love too!" he exclaimed sticking out his arm. She gladly took it and the two headed to the Third District. Zidane knew a shortcut to the shortcut so it was only a matter of minutes before they arrived. It was only five minutes after the tree lighting had started. Everyone who had attended the event was counting down. Zidane turned to Garnet. "Three!"

A big grin appeared on her features. "Two!"

"One!" they shouted in unison with the crowd.

The Christmas tree slowly lit up starting from the bottom and eventually reaching the top. The sight was immensely beautiful. There were several colors just glimmering from the evergreen. Several hues of reds, oranges, blues, greens, yellows, and pinks all flickering in unison. Silver tinsel had been tossed onto the tree reflecting the moonlight so that the tree looked shinier than before. The popcorn strings looked as if they had tiny firefiles inside of the kernals. Golden, sphere ornaments hung from its snowy branches. At the top of the tree a large, six pointed, golden star sat flashing yellow and white simultaneously. At the trunk, around the tree stand some of the citizens had laid a red, velvet, and circular carpet with golden trim. The tree was breath taking.

Kairi couldn't be happier. This was the best Christmas Eve she had ever had. In the orphanage they really didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Rinoa and herself were always the ones who dressed up their rink-a-dink tree. It was all they could afford. To be able to witness something so beautiful and full of Christmas spirit, she felt privileged. She rested her head on Sora's shoulder and sighed happily. "This is the best present ever," she thought out loud.

"But it isn't a present," Roxas muttered staring at Kairi with a blank face. Naminé quickly smacked his shoulder. "Ow!"

She shushed him, "Don't ruin her moment." He rolled his eyes and went into one of his pouts.

Moments of silence passed over the audience. The only sounds were quiet shuffles through the snow and the sound of camera's capturing the delicate event. There was truly nothing that could ruin this Christmas for anyone. It was just so special. Now, if only Riku were there to enjoy it with his 'family'. It was then; that it was brought to Olette's attention that Riku still hadn't shown up. "Where's Riku?" she asked looking around.

The group paused. There was no sign of the albino haired boy. There were no aquamarine eyes piercing through their skins. "Hm, that's strange. He said he'd be here," Tidus said as he scratched his head in confusion. Sora shrugged unsettling Kairi's head. She whined in response. Where was Riku?

After a couple of minutes of gazing around the area the orphans decided to give up on their visual Riku hunt. There was no use spoiling their evening looking for him; after all, he said he'd show up. Perhaps he'd show up a few minutes from now? He had never specified when. Olette had just found it idealistic that he show up before the countdown, but she figured Riku's hate of Christmas would prevent that from happening. Nevertheless, the orphans went back to their silent enjoyment quietly chattering amongst themselves.

Zidane and Garnet had sat themselves on the edge of a ledge watching from above the crowd. Zidane thought this would be better than having heads block their vision. Garnet had her hands neatly folded in her lap and her legs crossed at her heels as she happily enjoyed the bright Christmas tree. Her smile made Zidane feel weak at his stomach, and he was quite certain it was her and not Vivi's blizzara soup that he had forced himself to eat. She noticed his relentless staring and glanced at him with a puzzled look. "What is it?" she asked confusedly.

He scratched his neck. He couldn't tell her that he was in love with her; that would create an awkward situation. Zidane was not like Sora, well not entirely like Sora. He knew when to keep his mouth shut. "It's nothing," he said with a small smile, "I'm just glad I got to take you to your tree lighting."

"It's not my tree lighting, it's the entire towns'. So I think you have as much rights to it as I. But thank you for attending the festivity with me," she replied before turning her head back to face the tree. Zidane blinked. That was the longest thank you he had ever received. Was this how all classy girls acted? Oh well, his time spent with Garnet was nothing to complain about. The past two days had all been like a dream to him. The only thing that was different from his dream was the fact he hadn't kissed her yet. Unlike make-believe he knew that would be a bad move. She barely knew him, and to his dismay he barely knew her.

Zidane knew that Garnet wasn't like that, anyway. She wouldn't kiss someone she wasn't dating. It was improper of a lady to do so in her eyes. Garnet would always be a lady and follow lady-like mannerisms so he stood no chance in getting that unless he worked up the courage to ask her out. Since she was a lady she wouldn't be asking him out, ever. It wasn't in her protocol. He tugged at his coat collar. All this thinking was making him nervous. He was glad she hadn't noticed his uneasiness.

He swallowed down the rapidly accumulating spit in his throat. "Tonight sure is nice, huh?" he stated trying to start up a conversation. It had been two minutes since they had last spoken. The silence was starting to creep him out.

"Yeah, the weather's perfect for this. I do wish that snow would begin to lightly fall down from the sky. Then this moment would be absolutely perfect," Garnet answered staring up towards the starry sky.

Zidane smirked. "So you're one of those girls who like romantic snow falls and being swept off their feet?" he joked.

She turned to him with a fluster growing across her cheeks. "No! That's not what I meant!" she cried her chocolate eyes wide from shock.

He laughed nearly falling backwards off the ledge. "I know, I know. It's just so much fun embarrassing you," he chuckled patting her on the shoulder. "Relax, Garnet. I'll get you your snowfall evening!" Zidane outstretched his arms up to the sky. "Snow fall now! But slowly please!" he commanded. A few seconds passed by and nothing happened. Garnet was resisting the urge to burst into giggles. Then, something gray landed on her pants.

She stared down in disbelief. Zidane cheered. "I made it snow!" he exclaimed. The same gray objects were continuing to fall from the sky. As Zidane was happily celebrating Garnet was examining the objects. She stared down and saw that the objects were accumulating over the snow making it look dark.

"This strangely resembles…soot," she assessed.

Zidane blinked. "Soot?" he asked.

Someone screamed.

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_A/N: Ooh, soot falling from the sky. That's exciting, right? No. I think I'd hate to have that happen on Christmas. Well, Christmas Eve. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Since I actually found the time to finish it up like weeks later. Lol, I was surprised to open the file and see that I already had four pages typed up. I had to re-read what I wrote. Well, anyway please leave some reviews and I'll be sure to write as soon as I can! I've got school now so it's gonna be pretty hectic._


	48. From the Ashes

_A/N: This is the start of the end. Yes, believe it or not this story is coming to an end. It was spontaneously decided by me. I mean, the plot, it's practically completely I've just gotta bring it to a conclusion. Now, I'm not saying you'll never hear from these orphans again. Just not in this story. I'm thinking…three to four more chapters? I'm going to see how far I can get. Cause' I know where I wanna end. Sorry for the delay folks. It's been pretty rough, and by it I mean life. Kinda ridiculous if you ask me. Well anyway I won't hold you up from the story anymore. _

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Chapter Forty-Seven: From the Ashes

Chaos ensued. Slowly Garnet's eyes were able to discern the burning Christmas tree. It had been lit on fire by miscreants who danced about it below. She felt a sort of deep burning within herself. She couldn't bear to watch the scene any longer and turned to bury her face in Zidane's chest. The blonde boy didn't mind it a bit, but he would've been able to enjoy the sensation if the situation were different.

He recognized every face he saw below. Lulu, Axel, Demyx, and much to his dismay Riku, were the culprits of this plain display of Scrooge-like feelings. Zidane maintained a frown and glare as he was unable to tear his eyes away from what he was witnessing. _'I'll definitely be having a talk with Riku later,'_ he thought as he wrapped his right arm around Garnet, as if trying to shield her from the flames.

Down below things weren't as comfy as they were for Garnet and Zidane. Townspeople were running around screaming unsure of how to flee. Smoke was rising in the air. It was hard to breathe or even see two feet in front of you. This didn't stop Kairi from making a scene. She was so adamant on seeing the 'jerks' that ruined her Christmas Eve. Sora, showing his rare bit of maturity, had lifted her from her feet and carried her away from the madness. She kicked and cried and screamed to be released, but he wasn't about to let his love endanger herself over this.

The orphans managed leave the third district together despite all of the confusion. It was a long, silent walk back to their mansion of a home. There was a loss of words. It wasn't what one would call an awkward silence, but more of reverence for the disaster. Kairi quietly sobbed as she walked hand in hand next to a rather serious Sora. Roxas stared towards the stars trying to lose himself in his own fantasies. Naminé was glum. Tidus was silently thinking of words to say. The silence was killing him. Olette was forcing back her own tears trying to be strong for her roommates.

Sora was the first to step through the front door. Before even tending to himself he stripped Kairi of her winter clothing seeing as she was still unable to pull herself together. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of. Olette was the last to enter the house and made sure to close the door quietly behind her. Silently, the dysfunctional family took off their outerwear and hung them in the appropriate spots. Sora cleared his throat catching everyone's attention. "I'll make some hot chocolate and serve it in the living room," he mumbled before walking off towards the kitchen.

Tidus smiled weakly. "Come on guys; let's go into the living room. Maybe some television will get our minds off of things," he suggested briefly forgetting the lack of common interests within the household. He put his arms around Olette and Kairi trying his best to the comfort the distraught females.

The living room only brought more silence. Kairi had sat herself on the loveseat waiting for Sora. Naminé and Roxas were cozy on the floor staring blankly at the television set that hadn't even been turned on. Olette was curled in the far left corner of their couch. Tidus sat in the middle fiddling his thumbs. No one knew what to say; no one knew how to start a conversation. Roxas wasn't even fighting for control of the remote.

When Sora walked into the room it was as if the hot chocolate had brought them peace of mind. "Yes!" Roxas yelled at the top of his lungs as he rushed over to Sora eagerly wanting his mug. Sora didn't question Roxas's actions he just handed the boy his red mug fearing Roxas's anger. The rest of the mugs were passed out and he took his seat next to Kairi who happily rested her head upon his shoulder. Sora brought her comfort.

"I know you guys don't want to talk about it, but I just noticed something," Olette squeaked as she stared into the brown liquid watching the marshmallows float around.

"And what's that?" Tidus asked curiously turning to face the timid brunette.

"Riku never showed up…and he's not here now…and there was no sight of him on the way home," she murmured almost inaudibly, "I-I don't want to accuse him of anything but I-."

She was cut off by Roxas. "Ha!" he exclaimed making everyone in the room jump, "It makes so much sense now! He said he'd be there, but he wasn't with us, and he isn't here now! He's a culprit!" Oh how brilliant he felt.

Naminé scowled. "You just wait till he gets home I'm going to check his clothing for soot!" she cried.

Kairi burst into tears. "How is t-this possible!" she halfway shrieked, "R-Riku, I know he i-isn't the most sociable of peo-people b-but…he's sweet! I know he h-hates Christmas but w-why? I don't understand!"

Sora frowned as he rubbed her back. "Please don't be so upset Kai-Kai. We're all deeply hurt at the thought that Riku would do such a thing, but please don't cry," he cooed as he caressed her cheek. He hated to see her like this. He also hated how Riku was doing this to her. Anger lit up in his cerulean eyes. There was an inexplicable fury about his features that no one had seen before. It was slightly scary.

Zidane decided that Garnet wouldn't be safe walking from the stop sign at the corner to the door of her house. Though it was only a ten foot walk, he was secretly looking to spend more time with her. How he enjoyed her company, even though half the evening was spent in disappointment he still wished to see more of her. He was head over heels, after all. He feared that after this day, for some reason, he wouldn't see her for a long time.

The two stood at her doorstep quietly. Garnet had a radiant smile upon her face. It was breath-taking. Zidane really wished she didn't have to go inside. He just wished for another hour or two. He smiled at her. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," he mumbled as he nervously scratched at the back of his neck.

Garnet nodded, that beautiful smile never leaving her face. It nearly drove him mad. "Will I be seeing you soon?" she asked with a distinct hope in her voice.

"Hm…I dunno," Zidane answered playfully, "I'm not sure if I'd like to be graced with your presence again. And I'm not so sure if I'd like to hear your lovely voice again." Garnet's face turned the lightest shade of pink. "But if it'll make you happy," he joked, "I'd be happy to see you again sometime." He winked at her. Oh yeah, he'd play it cool. Baku taught him that that was the way to win the ladies.

She bit down on her bottom lip. Her chocolate eyes traveled to each visible window to make sure her mother wasn't peeping out of any of them. Quickly, she leaned up and gave Zidane a small peck upon his cheek. He immediately reddened and touched his cheek with his right hand. "W-What was that?" he asked bewildered, but in a good way.

"A small gesture of affection," she answered quietly. Garnet gave him another one of her heart-warming smiles. "But alas, I must bid thee good night. I fear that if I remain out here any longer my mother will sense your presence, and that would not be a good thing," she explained, "Good night, Zidane."

"G'night, Garnet," he mumbled in response. He watched as she quietly slipped into her house and quickly closed the door behind her. She was so beautiful and he was as happy as a clam. Not that it had been proven that clams were happy creatures.

He soon began his long trek back to his house, which was inconveniently located on the other side of town. As he turned the corner he noticed that the street lights were beginning to flicker. This sent a chill down his spine that hadn't been from the frosty breeze. He suddenly felt like he was the star of some horror film. Then, the lights went off entirely. Throughout Traverse Town there was a black out. Now, he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face.

'_How am I going to get home? Oh! I'll just head over to Sora's…it's always dark on that hill anyway it won't make a difference. Seems safer than wandering in the dark around here,' _he thought as he changed his direction and headed down the dirt path that led to their mansion. He was sure none of them would mind his visit or him staying the night.

All six of the teens were now huddled together in the living room covered in all of their blankets doing their best to keep warm. Kairi was once again in tears as Sora held her close trying to get her to calm down. Olette simply leaned on Tidus feeling a strange sense of apathy wash over her. Roxas and Naminé had decided there was no reason to stay up and wait for Riku. He probably wouldn't be coming home anyway. So they had already gone to sleep. The only thing preventing their good night's rest was Kairi's sobs they seemed to grow louder and louder.

"I can't take it anymore! Sora get her out of here till she can be quiet!" Roxas shouted covering his ears with his pillow.

"Fine!" Sora groaned as he glared at the bothered Roxas. He really wished the boy was more understanding and compassionate. "Come on Kairi, let's go in the kitchen," he murmured as he lifted her up. They took their blankets and headed off to the kitchen to talk.

Kairi tiptoed into the kitchen and sat herself in one of the dining chairs. Instead of full blown cries she had settled down to small sniffles. Sora was amazed by how distraught Kairi could get in one night. There just had to be some background story to the event. He took the seat beside her and turned it so he was facing her. Kairi wiped her eyes and bit down on her lip; she looked towards him waiting for him to start speaking.

"Kairi, I know I probably shouldn't pry, but is there something else that's making you sad about this whole event?" Sora asked nervously. He didn't want to cause her to cry even more.

She pulled some of her hair behind her ear and sighed. "Yes, it's about my mother," she answered quietly. Her eyes fell to the tiled floor. "Christmas…it was her favorite holiday. It was the day my whole family was happy and there were no problems. My father was amiable. I was on my best behavior. And my mother…she glowed," Kairi explained. Sora gently grabbed Kairi's hand and placed it in her lap keeping it covered with his own. "A-And it just hurts me to see it be mocked like that, and by someone close to me…"

"When he gets home we'll all confront him, okay?" Sora asked squeezing her hand supportively. Kairi simply nodded in response not wanting to speak. She was afraid she'd start crying again.

"Hey!"

Sora and Kairi nearly jumped out of their chairs. "What was that?" Kairi breathed still in shock.

Sora shrugged. "I guess we're about to find out," he answered jumping to his feet. He offered to lift her up and she gladly accepted. Together the two crept out to the entrance hallway where Naminé was already armed with a broom and a bottle of Lysol. Roxas was right behind her with a baseball bat. There was no sign of Olette or Tidus though.

"You don't have to be so violent," Kairi muttered as she walked up to the front door and pulled it open. A very, very cold Zidane fell into the room shivering and muttering incoherent words. "Ah! Zidane!" Kairi cried jumping back and nearly knocking down Naminé.

Roxas and Sora pulled him further into the room while Naminé closed the door. "What're you doing here?" Sora asked curiously as he watched Zidane rip off his freezing outer garments. He was quickly covered with a blanket, courtesy of Kairi. She figured she could share a blanket with Sora.

"The blackout…I had been walking Garnet home…couldn't make it home…came here," Zidane breathed trying his best to stop shivering.

The group walked into the living room where Olette and Tidus were sitting huddled under their blankets. Zidane decided to sit down next to Olette he figured she'd be warm and willing. Tidus looked to Sora for answers. Zidane was his best friend after all. Sora shrugged. He didn't really understand Zidane's gibberish. Together they huddled together keeping warm. It would be a long night.

Hours had gone by. There was still no power and the silence seemed to be thickening as every minute ticked by. No one had fallen asleep and it appeared as no one would fall asleep again. Kairi began to sing:

_Silent night, holy night_

_All is calm, all is bright_

_Round yon virgin, mother and child_

_Holy infant so tender and mild_

_Sleep in heavenly peace_

_Sleep in heavenly peace_

She received a small applause once she had finished the last 'peace' in the first verse. Kairi smiled weakly. "I just didn't want it to be silent anymore," she mumbled looking down at her naked toes in embarrassment.

"Well you did a mighty good job at breaking the silence," Tidus replied with a small grin. Kairi's face felt hot from all the flattery. She silently mouthed 'thank you'.

Olette yawned and stretched out her arms. "You know, I don't think we all have ever been in the same room for this long without any arguments," she stated with a small smile, "I think we're all finally coming to a full acceptance of each other."

Roxas chuckled. "Eh, we live together, it was bound to happen sometime. Sometimes fighting over the remote gets a little boring. Sometimes screaming at each other down the hallway gets a little old. And sometimes spraying people in the eyes with Lysol gets a little painful," he joked sticking his tongue out at Naminé who had suddenly become flustered.

"I think we should begin a sharing circle!" Sora exclaimed throwing up his hands in happiness.

"A sharing circle?" Namine asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we never really talked to each other about our pasts so…I figure now is as good a time as any."

Olette nodded. "Okay, well I'll volunteer first then," the brunette said. This amazed nearly everyone (with the exception of Zidane who was spaced out in his thoughts of Garnet), because Olette was usually so timid and quiet. It was amazing to hear her volunteer to tell the room her life story. Olette cleared her throat. "Well, my mother died in childbirth so I never really got to know her. My father did his best to take of me. He worked three jobs, but we were really close. But no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't provide me all the things I needed. So I was sent to live with my Aunt L. My dad passed away and well my aunt soon followed. So child services placed me in the orphanage. I never liked it that much; most of the kids were mean to me so I didn't talk much. I guess that's why when I came here I was quiet and shy…but now I feel like I can trust you guys," Olette confessed.

"Really?" Naminé asked feeling touched, "I know I'm not the most agreeable person, but you feel you can trust me? Thanks." Olette smiled. "Well, I'll go next." She sighed. "Apparently, my parents left me on the door steps of the orphanage with a small note pleading that they take care of me. So I never got to meet my birth parents; an orphanage is all I've ever known. So I can't say anything in my life could be better, because this is what I'm used to," Naminé finished.

Roxas bit down on his lip. "I'll volunteer. Um, well before my parents died, I had a nice home that I took for granted. My father was a pastor to a lovely church and my mother was the typical pastor's wife. Always volunteering and what not. Well, my father, he was determined that I would follow in his footsteps and become a pastor to the church as well. I always had other dreams, like becoming a rockstar or a professional skater. I hated when my father would ground me or force me to read bible scriptures, but now and well ever since their deaths I realize how much I miss that," Roxas explained with a sort of numb countenance. No one could really explain it, but Roxas seemed to be an entirely different person when he spoke of his parents.

Kairi stifled her squirms. She was too afraid to tell her story; it was a strange one after all. She'd just wait it out and maybe no one would notice she hadn't spoken. Next, Tidus decided he would go. "Well, my story isn't really special. My mother was bringing me up without a husband. She struggled between jobs and just couldn't afford me. So, when I was about six she shipped me off to an orphanage with promises of coming to get me when she was financially stable. When I was younger she'd send me a letter each year telling me how she was doing, but when I became ten they just stopped coming and I haven't heard from her since then. So, here I am." Tidus smiled. "And I'm kind of glad it ended up that way."

Sora glanced at Kairi. He saw through her uneasiness. He couldn't really blame her. Her story was slightly morbid and horrific. He decided he'd spare her the embarrassment and pain for a few more moments. "Let's see. I don't really remember much about my parents. I was pretty young when they were murdered by a robber. So, like Naminé my life has pretty much been centered around the orphanage I stayed in. That's where I met Zidane after all," Sora said with a smirk towards his friend. Zidane returned the favor. "Erm, well none of the parents wanted me, to think Fuu was actually chosen over me. Can you guys believe that?" he asked jokingly.

"Really?" Olette murmured in shock. Sora only nodded in response.

The group turned to Kairi who was currently strangling an edge of her blanket. She let out a small sigh. "My father was an alcoholic and my mother was the nicest woman around. She was beautiful. As I was growing up things didn't really phase me, I thought everything was perfectly fine and happy. Well, one day my father came home drunker than usual. He started to argue with my mother and well she ran out of the kitchen and told me to run away from my father. But before anything more could be done my father stabbed her and she died instantly. He nearly killed me, but instead I was hit by a vehicle as I was bleeding in the street. I was pretty lucky to survive. My father earned custody over me, something I'll never understand. And well I was abused every day and night. He was highly possessive over me and refused to let me go anywhere, even if that meant breaking the law. Well there was one night he wounded me and I simply couldn't stop the bleeding. He had locked my bedroom door so I had no escape as I was bleeding to death on my carpet. But a boy…he came up to my window, and he…he went and got help and I lived. That was when my father fled and I was sent to the orphanage once I recovered. I'd been there ever since," Kairi spoke quickly trying not to scare anyone with the horrific details of her past life. Too late.

All eyes stared at her in disbelief. So many things about Kairi now made sense. Not only Kairi was understood, but there was a sense of togetherness all over the room. They knew about each other's past and could now truly come together as a family, with the exception of Riku who still hadn't shown up. The orphans talked nearly all night till they started falling asleep one by one. Naturally, Sora was the first one to go.

They slept soundly through the night unaware of what Christmas morning would bring.

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_A/N: Okay kiddos. I finally updated. I know it's been really long. I'm going to see if I can get in another update tomorrow. Since the story is coming to a conclusion. I'm hoping, that if I have time, I'll be able to make a sequel. I really would like too. Well, anyway send your thoughts and concerns because I do love to read them. Thanks!_


	49. Devastation

_A/N: Hey guys! Here I am, updating again. I'm hoping that this chapter will bring us closer to our conclusion dearies. As sad as it is, I'm seeing a sequel coming out soon. I can't place a date though seeing as I'd like to give some dedication to my other current fic 'Anything For You' that's been kind of neglected over this year or so, but it will definitely happen. Another thing that's got me wondering is, what kind of person do you think I am? I mean, how old do you think I am? What do I look like? I've always wondered how the readers picture their authoress, because I know how I am, but does my writing reflect that? Some answers would be nice, but it's an out there question so you can ignore it if you choose._

_Disclaimer: So yeah…I don't own Kingdom Hearts._

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Chapter Forty-Eight: Devastation

"Riku, do you really think all of that was necessary?" Demyx whined as he dragged himself along behind Lulu and Axel. He yawned. "And do you think it was necessary to also black out the city just so the Christmas lights wouldn't shine?" he asked again.

Riku scowled. "Is it necessary for you to ask so many questions?" he snapped back turning around to glare at Demyx who was now cowering behind Axel. An angry Riku was enough to make Demyx want to cry and sulk in a corner. Riku sighed, "The deed is done, just forget about it. Now, go home."

Demyx didn't have to be told twice, he eagerly turned the street corner and fled the scene happy to be rid of this operation. Axel cracked a small smirk. He just couldn't get enough of Demyx's antics. They were just so entertaining. Axel stretched out his arms and released a yawn of his own. "Well, as fun as its been I think I'll be heading off too before my parents get their panties in a bunch. Catch ya later," Axel said as he turned and walked toward his street. No further goodbyes were exchanged.

It was now Lulu's turn to make her comment on the night's festivities. She stepped in front of her boyfriend and gave him a stern look. "You're deeper than I thought you were. Ruining the night of so many and burning their tree to the ground. The selfishness that you displayed tonight seemed to be endless. I am staring at a different man, but I have no complaints. I will not condemn you for your actions, nor will I condone them. Have a good Christmas, Riku. Good night," Lulu stated coldly before walking away.

The silver haired man now stood alone in the snow staring up towards the black sky. _'Funny, there's not a single star in the sky,' _he thought a small frown forming on his lips. "Will the stars never shine for me?" he mumbled. He paused. Aquamarine eyes dropped down to the snow. Suddenly, he kicked the snow from under his feet and began to run home without regard for anyone that was on the street. He just didn't care anymore. This feeling that was tugging at his heart, it was unexplainable. He just wanted to suddenly apologize to the whole town for his actions. Riku felt so dirty, so pathetic.

Throughout this, there was only one person on his mind. **Kairi.**

Riku burst through the front door finding that the temperature outside matched the temperature inside. He should've given a second thought to turning off the town's electricity. He quickly disrobed and walked into the living room; he had a hunch that everyone would be in there. Riku had been right; there were all his roommates, soundly sleeping on the living room floor bundled together in their blankets to keep warm. A sudden pang of guilty stabbed through his heart.

The look on Kairi's sleeping face just showed all the pain he had put her through tonight. He could see the tear-stained eyelashes and cheeks. There was a look of dissatisfaction on her sound face, and the small frown that had taken up residence on her lips. He wished he could talk to her, to explain himself, but he knew better. Sora had her close in grip, in a defensive manner. Riku sighed and sat down on the touch and began watching his roommates sleep. He didn't feel like he could sleep. There was way too much on his mind.

The morning soon came and the gentle sunlight flowed through the dusty windowpanes. Riku had quietly dozed off on the couch and the rest of the orphans (and Zidane) were still sound asleep. It was Kairi that opened her eyes first. Her eyelids fluttered open and her amethyst eyes began to explore the room as she wondered what had happened. It was then her eyes caught the sight of the sleeping albino huddled on the corner of the couch. She felt all emotions drain from her body as she stared at him. She wished to slap him, she wished to hug him, and how she wished to cry.

She wriggled herself out of Sora's grasp and quietly made her way over to the couch. She plopped down beside Riku and stared at him hoping there would be some sort of telepathic connection in which he would wake up and know she was there sitting next to him. Riku's left eye quickly opened and she was noticed. Kairi remained stoic.

There was so much Riku wished to say that he didn't know what to say first. It was like word vomit. "I'm so sorry, Kairi. I know how much you love Christmas but I hate it so much it's ridiculous, really. I wanted to make it go away. I thought burning down the tree would have some kind of emotional release for me but it only made me feel worse when I thought of you. And I guess you were feeling pretty bad too and now we both feel bad! I'm driving myself insane! I don't know how to deal with my mistakes, Kairi. How can I ever make it up to you and everyone else?" Riku exclaimed speaking the loudest he had ever spoken when he wasn't angry. It was funny how inarticulate he became when he was nervous.

"I…I um, honestly don't know how to reply to all of that," Kairi mumbled suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Riku scratched his head. "I think I said too much…" He turned away only to lock eyes with Olette. This was followed locking glances with Tidus, Sora, Zidane, Naminé, and lastly Roxas. A wave of nervousness crashed down on him and he suddenly wanted to run out of his own house.

"If Kairi forgives you, I'll forgive you," Sora said a certain malevolent undertone to his voice. It seemed as though the rest of the room agreed when there were no objections to his statement.

Riku turned to Kairi for her answer. Kairi sighed feeling the pressure. "I'll forgive you, Riku. But if you ever do it again don't expect the same favor," she muttered before stretching her arms and letting out a loud yawn. If it was possible, that day, Riku smiled a genuine, happy smile that was to be shared with his roommates. Finally, a balance, a certain happiness had been reached. There was a measure of comfortableness between the orphans and they all felt so accepting of the other. It was a moment that would be cherished forever.

The telephone rang.

"I'll go get it," Naminé sang as she skipped out of the living room and into the kitchen where the nearest phone was inconveniently located. Kairi would forever remember that commemorative silence among her group of friends. Naminé quickly reentered the living room with the phone in her hand and a scared look on her face. "Kairi, it's for you," she announced.

Kairi bit down on her lip. There had been another time she'd gotten a phone call, but that had been from her father. She took the phone from Naminé and fearfully put it up to her ear. "Hello…?" she asked timidly almost hoping it was Yuna. She'd talk to anyone in return for having to speak with her father.

"I'm coming for you, Kairi. I suggest you pack your bags and stand outside, unless you'd like me to drag you out of that house."

She fell silent trying to figure out something she could say. Perhaps her father was just fooling around with her, trying to scare her. "How can you order me to do that? You don't have custody over me!" she accidentally screamed. Sora jumped to his feet prepared to defend Kairi from whatever evils were on the other side of the receiver.

"Silly girl. I do have custody now, and I have the papers to prove it. Let's just say a friend helped me out, and now you'll have to come live with me on Destiny Islands, again."

Kairi felt the hot tears falling down her face. She suddenly felt all the fear and all the pain that she had gone through during her younger years. It was all coming back and exploding in her face. "I will not go with you! Whoever gave you permission is obviously a little too hung up on eggnog! I'm not going!" Kairi cried trying to wipe away the endless stream.

"I guess we'll have to do this the hard way." Kairi didn't stay on the phone to listen to what the hard way was, she quickly hung up and threw the phone onto the ground trying to ignore the several worried faces that were staring at her. She clenched her fists and finally allowed herself to break down. She toppled to the floor and began to loudly sob.

"Kairi!" Sora cried quickly rushing to her side doing his best to try and console his hysterical girlfriend. He pulled her close and began gently rocking back and forth and she cried into his chest.

Olette looked away not wanting to witness the sorrow. Tidus felt just as uncomfortable, but simply couldn't tear his eyes away. Roxas scratched the back of his head wishing he had the words to say, but figured they'd come easier if he knew why she was balling her eyes out. Naminé kneeled beside Kairi and rubbed her back. Riku just stared at the broken phone that lied on the ground as he wondered what was going on.

Zidane was the first to break her sobs. "What's going on Kairi?" he cautiously asked not sure if he wanted to hear her answer or not.

Kairi removed her face from Sora's shirt and looked into Zidane's blue eyes as if trying to disappear or drown inside of them. "My father…he got custody over me again…and he's trying to take me away," she answered quietly barely able to get out so that it was understandable. A silence fell over the room, a deadly, evil silence.

"I won't let him take you," Sora bravely concluded. Kairi looked into his cerulean eyes unsure of how to respond to Sora. She couldn't tell him no because she knew he wouldn't listen to her. Yet, she didn't want him to be harmed by her father or anyone else. She remained silent looking toward the floor in her shame. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "You hear me? I'm not going to let him take you!" he exclaimed. Kairi could see his eyes beginning to water.

She stifled a cry. "I don't want you getting hurt," she mumbled trying to control her voice and emotions. She turned to the rest of the group. "I don't want any of you getting hurt!" she cried.

Roxas jumped to his feet and smirked. "I've never been one to follow orders, you know? You think we'll seriously let your evil father take you away from us after all we've been through! You're crazy, Kairi! I'll be…heaven forbid…I'll be damned before I let you fall into his clutches again!" Roxas exclaimed proudly giving her a thumbs up.

Naminé also stood with a defiant look upon her features. "That man better be prepared to be sprayed with bleach in his eyes before he even thinks of trying to drag you out of this house!" Olette jumped to her feet and nodded her head eagerly agreeing with Naminé.

Tidus cracked his knuckles and too stood to his feet. "I'll gladly bruise up a few fingers for you, Kairi," he said with a smile.

"And I'll gladly bruise a couple of faces for you," Riku muttered.

Kairi didn't know how to react. She'd never felt so sheltered so protected in her entire life. There had never really been an instance in which someone would be willing to sacrifice their own well-being for her; well, unless your name was Sora, but he had been different from the start. More tears began to fall from her eyes as she stared at all of her dear friends. "I can't begin to express what I'm feeling right now…I just want you all to know how thankful I am that you would help me…and protect me. I just now realize something. I always used to think that I was alone, I thought I was alone! But…being here with you guys…I know that isn't the truth. I have people who care about me…so thank you," Kairi sniffled trying to stop the waterworks.

The doorbell rang and Kairi screamed throwing herself onto Sora. "I'll get the door," Roxas grumbled leaving the room. The next few events were something Kairi would remember for quite awhile. Nothing could begin to describe how horrific the entire situation was.

"Who are you? Hey!"

Kairi's grip tightened on Sora as she heard the footsteps entering the house. Naminé shut the living room door and held the doorknob, because the door didn't have a lock. "Run out the back way!" she exclaimed pointing to the other door. Sora grabbed Kairi's hand and began to run toward the other exit, but it was too late. Men dressed in black were guarding the doorway with a stern look on their face. Kairi screamed and began to run towards Naminé, but her father had already overpowered her. She shrieked again.

It was the first time she had laid eyes on her father in years. The same droopy blue eyes, the same faded red hair, the same slouched posture, and the same crazed look in his eyes. Fear struck into her heart and she fell still unable to do anything. The two men began to drag Kairi towards the doorway; despite the amount of fuss she put up and how she tried against it she couldn't break their strength.

Sora wasn't about to let the love of his life be taken away from him. He reached out and grabbed one of her arms away from the man and began to pull in the opposite direction. "I won't let you take her!" he shouted. Unfortunately, Sora wasn't strong enough either, and soon they were outside as Sora tried to fight against their pull.

"Go away kid!" Kairi's dad cried pushing Sora onto the cold snow. Sora remained on the ground for what seemed to be ages as Kairi screamed and fought to stay. For a moment, Sora's mind went blank and he went back into the deep jungle of his mind. A certain memory played in his head and suddenly all of the puzzle pieces fit together.

'_I'm that boy from her story, I'm the one who saved her!' _

Without further thought Sora leapt from his icey tomb and ran towards the van Kairi was going to be pushed into. "Kairi!" he shouted.

"Sora!"

Sora ran over to Kairi as she was being dragged away towards the black van. He grabbed onto her wrist and began to tug in the other direction. "Kairi! I remember now! I remember everything!" Sora exclaimed trying his hardest to resist the pull of the guards, but they were still too strong.

She smiled. "You remember that you saved me? You remember everything?" she inquired grabbing Sora's wrist the best she could. Kairi didn't want to go.

"Hey, get off of her!"

"Sora-!"

"…"

A final blow to the head was all it took to stop the brunette teen's attempts to rescue his girlfriend. Despite the other's tries Kairi was shoved into the van and taken away from them.

This was unfair. This was ridiculous, but it couldn't be prevented. Nothing could've stopped them from taking Kairi away and reuniting her with her 'rightful' guardian. There was no one who could save her now, especially with Rinoa's orphanage gone out of business. She was trapped and there was nothing a band of orphans could do to help her.

Namine couldn't help but feel an even colder breeze blow by. It was if someone, somewhere was watching this scene with a smile on her face. The blonde felt an uncontrollable hatred for whoever it was, because she was sure that whomever was watching was the cause of this entire mess.

Christmas Day was a disaster.

Hours later, Sora woke up in his bed. He could feel the heater blowing on his face. The power had been turned back on. He looked around the room wondering what had happened and why he felt a strong throbbing on the back of his head. He rubbed his injury still trying to remember what had happened and why he had been lying in his bed. Like a flash of lightning the memories of this morning hit him. The image of Kairi's terrified face stuck out in his mind. He quickly burst out of his room and ran down the stairs. "Guys! Guys!" he screamed.

Olette was the first person he saw, a horrified gleam in her emerald eyes. Sora ran up to her and grabbed her by her shoulders. "Where's Kairi?" he cried fearing the truth.

Olette looked away from his pleading eyes. She didn't have the nerve to say the truth. "Well…Sora. She…she was taken away from us," she mumbled quietly. Sora released her and she quickly ran away as he tumbled to his knees.

* * *

_A/N: Well, next chapter will be the last. Stay tuned my loyal reviewers! Please leave me some comments and concerns if you'd like. I enjoy reading them!_


	50. Resolution

_A/N: Well, this is it. A three year (well three years on the twenty-sixth) fan-fiction will finally be ending. In a way, it's like a child I'm afraid to send off into the world, but at the same time I am so ready, lol. I want to thank all of those who stayed with me through my long hiatuses and kept on reading and patiently waiting. I also want to thank those who took the initiative and messaged me 'Hey what's up? Where's the next chapter?' lol, those were always fun to read. Usually I give a little paragraph at the end listing all the names of my reviewers and a thank you to them…but I think there are far too many of you to thank you all individually._

_So I hope you accept my sincere, collaborative thank you! I really wouldn't have gotten this far if you guys weren't inspiring me and pushing me. As for the sequel, hm, just stay tuned my darlings._

_Also for those who visit my little page on this site that lists all my other works and what not I have included a picture of myself in the avatar thingamabob. It's fancied up, but that's what I look like._

_Now to end this long A/N and get on with the chapter, right?_

_Disclaimer: So yeah…I don't own Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

Chapter Forty-Nine: Resolution

For many days Sora stayed locked in his room refusing any food and also refusing to cook any food. The orphans found themselves actually eating the microwavable meals and television dinners they had bought many months ago. The brunette wouldn't budge, and the group was beginning to worry that he would die of starvation. Even Zidane could not get his best friend out of his room. All efforts seemed futile. Ever since Sora's episode in the kitchen he had become extremely solitary.

_Sora tumbled to his knees stricken with grief. "Kairi!" he wailed loudly not caring for his dignity or pride. It seemed as if his entire being had shattered and he was nothing but broken shards on the kitchen floor that even Naminé could not clean. _

_Olette quickly dropped to his side and pulled him into a one-sided hug. She rocked him back and forth in her arms trying her best to comfort him, but he remained inconsolable. He only continued to cry into her shirt and wail for Kairi's return. _

"_Please Sora, get a hold of yourself," Olette begged feeling tears of her own stir, "Kairi wouldn't want you to fall apart like this. At least shape up for her, please." _

"_You don't understand!" Sora practically screamed as he ripped himself out of her arms. He backed away from her, a disgusted look on his tear-streaked face. "She is my only one! I can't-I can't function without her!" he cried as more tears began to fall from his cerulean eyes. Olette remained silent and watched him cry unable to do anything else. _

_Roxas and Riku entered the room, a mix of fear and concern written on their faces. Roxas looked down at the crying brunette and was at a loss of words. The boy who always had something to say was now rendered speechless. He looked at Riku searching for some sort of answer. _

_Riku cleared his throat catching Sora's attention. "Olette is right. Kairi would only want you and the rest of us to be happy," he muttered, still not fully understanding the situation. _

_Sora jumped to his feet in a burst of anger. His eyes now had a certain fire within them as he glared Riku down. "I cannot be happy knowing that she is with that man!" he growled his entire body tensing. "You people may not understand this, but he's only going to abuse her and harm her! He may even kill her!" Sora shouted, "but you don't really care, do you? No one does! I couldn't save her and now…now…" Sora shoved his way through Roxas and Riku and ran towards the steps nearly knocking Naminé to her feet. She had been lingering in the hallway. _

_The four stared at each other speechless. _

Sora remained buried under his covers trying to catch her scent like he used too. Despite how hard he tried the scent was not there, and he knew that he would never find it again. He would never find her again. He rolled over and faced the window. Snow was still falling from the sky. Today was New Years Eve. He had planned…well, his plans did not matter anymore. At least the plans that included her did not matter anymore.

'_Sora, you need to get a hold of yourself. It's going to be a new year…and she wouldn't want you lying in bed mourning,' _he thought. For the many nights he remained confined to his bed she had been haunting his dreams. At first, Kairi appeared in pain and in need of help. She would be crying lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She would be screaming his name, asking for help that would never come. Slowly the nightmare transformed from screams of terror to smiles of acceptance. She would now appear smiling in her pool of blood wishing Sora well and telling him to move on with his life. The only problem was he didn't feel that he could move on. Not with the image of her dying in his head.

She was everywhere. He felt her everywhere. He closed his eyes and she was staring into his soul with her lovely, amethyst eyes. He opened them and her image was in her corner of his eye. Even as he lay with his back turned to the door he felt the curves of her body still pressed against him. He could hear her breathing in his ear. He could hear her still whisper his name in the night. It tortured him.

Slowly he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. His eyes still followed the snowflakes that fell from the sky. "She wouldn't want me to be like this," he mumbled as he scratched his head. His appearance had totally transformed from a glowing, teenage boy to a broken, mourning boy. It was if a smile had not graced his features for decades.

He stood up, his legs wobbling as he walked toward the window. The moon shined brightly. Memories clouded his mind as her presence once again consumed him.

"Sora-Sora, why do you look so sad? The Sora-Sora I know would never get so depressed, he's always so cheerful and happy," her voice echoed through his mind.

"Kai-Kai, how can I be happy without you?" he mumbled fighting back the tears that wanted to pour from his eyes. Something cold touched his right shoulder. The sensation sent chills down his spine. He looked at his right shoulder and clad in moonlight was a hand. A hand he knew very well. He spun around and there was Kairi, paler than usual, but still the beautiful girl he loved. "Kairi," he whispered unsure how to react.

She smiled at him. "You were happy before you knew me, you can be happy again. I want you to be happy Sora-Sora, can't you be happy for me?" she pleaded.

"I'd do anything for you," rolled off his tongue.

"Then do this for me. Become the Sora I love once again. Have the happiness that I admire and aspire to have."

Sora placed his hand on her cheek. "I promise I will, I won't be depressed anymore," he whispered staring at her with such desire in his eyes.

She looked into his eyes, still wearing a sincere smile. "That's what I wanted to hear," she whispered. Before Sora could respond the image was gone and he was once again alone in his room. He fell back onto the wall letting the encounter sink in.

He glanced at the clock resting on his bedside table. It read 11:59 and changed to twelve before his eyes. "Well Happy New Year, Kai-Kai. This is my resolution to you," he whispered. Sora took in a deep breath before supporting his own weight again. "Better go downstairs now…they're probably worried…"

* * *

The sunlight beamed down on Traverse Town as the group walked down the street. The sky was a light shade of blue and there was barely a cloud in the sky. They spoke amongst themselves, chatting away with excitement about what the new school year would hold. Naminé was looking forward to seeing the girls again. Roxas wanted to show off the new tricks he had learned over the summer. Riku didn't really care for the new school year, but found that education was necessary so he wouldn't take it lightly. Olette was only looking forward to seeing Hayner. Tidus just wanted a normal school year. Though each wanted the terrible events of the past to be covered with new memories. That was what they all hoped for.

Sora, on the other hand, wasn't expecting anything. The brunette had given up on hope a long time ago, or what seemed to be a long time ago. He stretched and let out a small yawn. "I wish I could've slept in some more," he whined.

"Sorry," Riku muttered not even bothering to glance at Sora. Sora only ignored his comment and stared up at the sky. He was used to Riku's one word answers.

"There's only one thing bothering me, where's Zidane?" Sora asked looking around for any sign of the tailed blonde.

Tidus shrugged. "He usually shows up about now. Kinda strange if you ask me. Oh well, you'll see him at school," he answered with a small smile.

"You're right," Sora mumbled letting his mind wander. He looked up toward the sky and placed his hands behind his head.

"Daydreaming and walking isn't safe," a voice laughed.

Sora smirked. He glanced to his side and there she was walking right next to him. Kairi. She was as lovely as ever. She smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. He sighed and readjusted himself. He looked back to his side and she was gone. "Another hallucination," he muttered before running to catch up with the rest of the group.

A small figure took a step from behind a tree. Still guarded by the shadows she watched him run toward his friends with a sad smile. She turned away and pressed her back against the trunk of the tree. Taking in a deep breath she let a single tear escape her eye. She turned back around only to see him walking away.

"I'll be seeing you."

* * *

_A/N: And this concludes 'I Thought I Was Alone'. Thanks to all who stuck around and read my fanfic. I really appreciate it! As for talk of a sequel, you will soon see my darlings. I'm not incredibly evil. Why would I end a story like that? Haha. Anyway, I'm sure I'll be reading interpretations of the girl behind the tree, and well I expect it actually. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Despite all my long hiatuses I did enjoy writing it _


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